Raven's Daughter
by Jncera
Summary: Sequel to Pili Lani, Close to Heaven. Raven and Robin have been going steady together for over 2 years. He finally proposes to her and they marry. Soon, a child is coming! Their lives are in perfect order...but nothing's perfect. FINISHED
1. A Christmas Surprise

**Title:** Raven's Daughter  
  
**Sequel to** Pili Lani, Close to Heaven. If you didn't read that, this story might not be as dramatic to you.  
  
**Summary**: Robin and Raven have been lovers for almost two and half years. He finally proposes to her and they get married. Soon, Raven's even pregnant. It seems like their lives are in perfect order... but nothing's perfect.  
  
**A/N**: Terra's in this one now, but unlike in the cartoons, she's absolutely cool, as you'll see later in the story. I got many ideas from the movie, "Jersey Girl". (Which I don't own)  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans.  
  
**Chapter 1**  
  
Raven and Robin have been going steady for the past two years, both loving each other more than life itself. They have cried on each other's shoulders, laughed together, and came to aid of one another at the other's screams. Raven discovered that if you express these emotions with love in her heart, nothing would explode. As their love escalated, Raven had been sleeping in Robin's bed for the past few months.  
  
One night, in bed, Robin approached Raven with a question he was wondering about for a while now. They were both nearing the age of 20, which pretty much means that they'll be adults. (And the Teen Titans will just be the Titans.)  
  
"Raven?"  
  
The figure next to him awoke from the beginning of her slumber and turned to him with a hint of annoyance in her voice. "We've been up most of the night, Richard, may I please get some sleep?"  
  
"I'm sorry, but, I have to ask you a question that I've been thinking about some time now."  
  
"I'll listen as long as I stay awake," replied Raven, shutting her eyes.  
  
Robin paused for a moment, and then continued, "Have you ever thought about where our relationship will lead? Like, um, like—"  
  
"Marriage?" Raven opened her violet eyes, "Yes, I've thought of marriage, but I would really love to get some sleep now." With that, she turned around and closed her eyes. _Hmmm, Richard, I'd love to marry you...  
_  
Robin couldn't help but smile. _Note to self: Never approach Raven with a question when she's half asleep.  
_  
The next morning made Christmas officially four days away. Beast Boy and Cyborg had both started outlining the outside of the tower with decorative lights, and Terra went Christmas shopping with Starfire. (And to buy some more outfits and accessories and stuff.) Robin had locked himself in his room preparing gifts, and Raven, was as usual, meditating on the roof. A light snow was falling and the ocean humming quietly. It was, so to say, peaceful...for the moment.  
  
Cyborg and his green pal had run out of wire and were crashing on the couch, talking loudly about new video games and cheats. Terra and Starfire returned earlier than planned, pouting that there weren't any good sales going on, but they bought lots of Christmas decoration, including more lights for BB and Cyborg to put up.

"Aw man, we're burnt!" cried the animal-shifter.  
  
"From what we saw, the lights make the building look like an upside- down 'L' with a tumor on the side. Now go out there and perform some surgery, now will you?" Terra threw the boxes of lights on top of Beast Boy and hurried to unpack the ornaments.  
  
"As you wish, mademoiselle." The green titan attempted to sweep a bow, but if he did that, the boxes would fall, and Starfire most likely would be fuming mad because her ornaments were right underneath. And not to mention he didn't want to be a "Klorbag" again.   
  
The alien teen squealed at the sight of the new ornaments she and Terra had just purchased. They were more fancy and glittery than last year's. As they placed the baubles on the Christmas tree, Raven came down from the roof looking very grumpy.  
  
"Beast Boy talks so loud I swear he'll end up deaf sooner or later. Terra, how can you put up with him?"  
  
"Oh, I take tofu hostage and threaten to break his controller," replied the blond, taking tape off the cartons.  
  
While the women were admiring their slightly ornamented tree, Robin was busy in his room making Raven's present. So far he had used up about three rolls of wrapping paper and about fourteen boxes. _This has got to perfect to perfection!_ He set out to find another roll of tape.  
  
Robin woke up on Christmas day feeling nervous, yet he kept telling himself that there was nothing to be nervous about. _She loves you more than meditation, so cool it._ He walked into his bathroom to find Raven brushing her soft lavender hair.  
  
"Marry Christmas dear Raven!" Robin proceeded to hugging her around the waist, staring at their happy reflection. Raven's face soon turned sour however.  
  
"Richard did you brush your teeth yet? Because you're breath smells so _minty fresh_ that I could faint!"  
  
Robin laughed. Her sarcasm always tickled him.  
  
The tower looked like a Christmas wonderland. Fake snow lined the hallways and holly traced the walls with candles at random intervals. The huge ten-foot star-topped Christmas tree rose all the way up to the ceiling of the living room, and presents crowded at the base. Everyone couldn't help but notice a rather huge looking gift that took up nearly all the space. Just last night, the teens went out into the cold snow to admire the works of Beast Boy and Cyborg. The tower was outlined with colorful lights and there was even Santa with his reindeer on the roof, dazzling the bay with his wave. Light-up candy canes lined the path to the entrance, where a huge wreath hung with golden ornaments and a cream-ribbon to match. By then, everyone was in the holiday spirit and stayed up late playing in the snow under the moonlight until their cheeks turned red.  
  
When Robin and Raven entered the kitchen, they could see Terra and Beast Boy kissing the morning away under mistletoe, making Cyborg turn slightly green. Starfire was making last minute touches to the tree and constantly re-arranging the ornaments.  
  
"So, breakfast for the new love-birds? Would it be pancakes, waffles, omelets, muffins, eggs, hash browns, Christmas porridge, or cereal? And would you like fruit, juice, milk, coffee, or tea?" Cyborg laid out the array of food, and took out whip cream, syrup, honey, and the rest of the condiments.  
  
"Wow, Cy, thanks for cooking," replied Robin, his eyes amazed at the breakfast buffet.  
  
"Nothing really. And the best part, NO TOFU CRAP!" The robot shouted as BB took his seat.  
  
"Is not!"  
  
"Man, how can you eat that stuff? You can't even chew it before it dissolves!"  
  
"For the last time, TOFU IS NOT CRAP!"  
  
"And for the last time, STOP ARGUEING!" Raven shouted over the two, each fuming. Starfire's bottle of mustard blew up, splattering it's surprised owner with yellow.  
  
Raven suddenly blushed. "I'm sorry, my emotions, they seem to be going, a bit, haywire. I'm sorry." She looked down at her food. _Why do I feel so nervous? Why do I feel something's going to happen? Someone around me must be feeling nervous...  
  
_ Robin looked over at his girlfriend with concern on his face. However, it was short lived.  
  
"PRESENT TIME!" cheered Terra, running towards the tree. She picked up the largest present and read the gift-tag, "_To my dear Raven, love Richard_! Ain't that sweet. Raven, you shall have the honor of opening the first one then."  
  
The goth headed over, and was startled at how huge the box was. "Wow, Richard..." She used her powers to gently remove the wrapping, but was surprised to find another wrapped box with a note-card on top. There was a single number on the card: 23.  
  
"Richard...?"  
  
Robin simply smiled, nodding towards the present. "Keep working."  
  
_This better not be some sort of prank._ Raven unwrapped the gift before here, only to be surprised by another beautifully wrapped present with another numbered note-card: 9.  
  
Frowning, Raven continued to unwrap box after box, card after card. She opened the last remaining package, a small dark blue velvet box, and gasped. The food on the breakfast bar all exploded simultaneously.  
  
"Oh my gosh."  
  
Inside was a diamond mounted on a golden ring. The stone caught the morning light and scattered the beams, shining brighter than the Christmas tree. Lifting the ring from it's snuggled base, Raven saw the words engraved at the base of the band: Raven and Robin Forever.  
  
"Now, see what the numbers say," spoke Robin, his heart beating faster.  
  
Raven, a bit shaken at the sight of such a beautiful ring, placed the cards in order on the floor: 23 9 12 12 25 15 21 13 1 18 18 24 13 5.  
  
"It's a code," spoke Cyborg.  
  
"Richard, I swear you're too smart for your own good sometimes," said Raven, a bit amused, "So, it's a code. Lowest number is one, highest number is 24." She then noticed that some numbers repeated themselves. "Hmm, the alphabet, right?"  
  
The rest were amazed at her intelligence, but then again, it was expected.  
  
"Each number corresponds with a letter, the letter in the order of the alphabet." Raven brought a piece of paper and a pen using her summoning powers. "Let's see...W-I-L-L, will?"  
  
Robin's heart was beating faster now from anxiety.  
  
"Y-O-U...you. M-A-R-R-Y...marry." Raven suddenly slowed down. Her legs felt weak and brain felt like it was floating. Terra's eyes lit up and suppressed a smile. Cyborg and Beast Boy now looked at the goth with unblinking eyes. Starfire, however, was staring at Robin, who was biting his lower lip.  
  
Raven finished the last word. "..M-E...me. Oh Richard!"  
  
She pulled him into a tight kiss, and the rest of the Titans cheered. When they pulled apart, tears were in Raven's eyes, and objects were popping in the background, but no one cared.  
  
"I'll take that as a yes," said Robin, slipping the ring on her slender finger, and they kissed once more in the Christmas morning glow.

* * *

My innards are officially all liquid now. That just...seriously melted me.  
  
Please review and I will love you like frappacino.  
  
Next Chapter: Wedding plans and the actual wedding.


	2. Planning the Special Day

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters.  
  
**Since the wedding and the banquet will be rather long, it will be in the next chapter. Sorry about that...(slaps herself)**  
  
And the date of the wedding is an actual date in the year 2005. Awww...  
  
**Chapter 2**  
  
Even thought she told nobody, Starfire was in pain. She had been in pain for the past three years. Every time the name "Raven" or "Robin" found its way to her ears, a stone would be dropped into her heart. Every time she would see the two together, whether it was hugging, kissing, talking, or laughing, a boulder would crash down. And when Robin proposed to Raven, a whole side of the mountain fell. True, she had cheered along with everybody else, but what else could she do? Raven was perfect for Richard. They both just, understand each other better; they were two unbreakable diamond puzzle pieces that were crafted perfectly down to the last atom. _It'll take time...it'll take time to heal._ Besides, today was not the day to show any jealousy towards the pair. This evening, they were going to plan the wedding.  
  
"I think it would be a beautiful outdoor wedding if it was during the spring," spoke Robin.  
  
The six friends were seated in the living room couch with Raven snuggled into her fianc's arm and sipping hot chocolate. "But wouldn't it be nice to go back to Hawaii for the honeymoon?" she said. _And speaking of _honeymoon_, that's a really oddly put together word, kind of like Beast Boy. Ha..._  
  
"So you're saying you guys are going to wait a few months after the wedding?" said Beast Boy who started playing Blackjack on the floor with Terra.  
  
"Why don't you hold it during the summer? BB, it's your turn." Terra sneaked a peek at the next card to see what Beast Boy would get.  
  
"Wouldn't it be a bit hot? Oh, hit me."  
  
"Gladly, Beast Boy!" Starfire floats over to the green titan and slaps him.  
  
"Ow! Starfire! It meant I wanted another card!"  
  
The blond smacks down the card. "Haha, BB, yo bust_ed_!"  
  
Raven's eyebrow twitched. She didn't even know that Beast Boy had the brain capacity to play anything other than video games, but then again, he lost that round. "Beast Boy, not all weddings are held outside, you know."  
  
"Yea, a nice wedding in a church, and then an outdoor bridal shower," said Cyborg.  
  
"That's sounds really nice, Cy. We can hold the ceremony at the Jump City church, and then come back here for a rooftop banquet under the moonlight," added Robin, twirling the ring on Raven's finger, "So what about the date?"  
  
"Full moon in June," said Terra without looking up from her cards, "Luckiest day to get married and make that a bonus if it hits Wednesday. BB, I'll split mine."  
  
Cyborg pushed a few buttons on his arm and sent out a miniature satellite dish. "Hmm, that would be June twenty-second this year, and would you look at that, it hits squarely on a Wednesday!" The dish collapsed back. "The stars are one your side, man."  
  
Robin beamed. "So, the twenty-second okay with you, Raven?"  
  
"As if I could argue."  
  
"I have read that weddings need a 'best man' and 'bridesmaids', no?" stated Starfire.  
  
"Well, we've got the answer right before our eyes, Starfire," replied a smiling Robin, "You and Terra—"  
  
Starfire smiled genuinely for the first time since Christmas day.  
  
"But could we really trust Beast Boy to the ring, and the marriage license?" questioned the pale titan.  
  
"Hm, so it's only between me and BB, eh?" Cyborg pretended to crack his knuckles.  
  
"May the best man win! Hahaha! Get it? _Best man_?" Beast Boy fell on the floor, laughing. Terra managed a giggle, only because she didn't want her boyfriend to feel more stupid that he really was at the moment.  
  
"Cyborg it is," said Raven, indifferent to the joke. _He's so immature..._  
  
"Boo-ya!" Cy then proceeded to do a mini victory dance in his seat.  
  
"Hey!" Beast Boy stopped rolling on the floor, "What about me? What about poor ickle Beastsie Boy?" He turned into a kitten and stared at Raven with huge watery eyes.  
  
"You get to sit and watch instead of having to stand, and we know how you hate standing around doing nothing," said the half-robot, still bobbing his head up and down.  
  
"Or you can be the flower-girl," laughed Terra.  
  
Beast Boy changed back and continued to pout.  
  
"Don't worry BB, we'll find something for you to do on our special day. It's six months away," said Robin, giving Raven a squeeze with the arm holding her. She nearly spilled her hot chocolate and shot him a glare, which Robin responded to with a grin. _She looks so adorable when she's pissed.  
_  
"And the flower girl?" questioned Starfire.  
  
"No problem," responded Robin, "You guys remember Aqualad?"  
  
Beast Boy screamed. "HE'S going to be the FLOWER GIRL!?" He threw up his cards, causing Robin and Terra to sweat drop.  
  
"Uh, _no_. We've been keeping touch, and he got married a few years ago. Now he's twenty-five and he's got a little girl the age of four."  
  
"Aw, that's perfect," Terra said while retrieving the cards and scowling at the green shape-shifter.  
  
Meanwhile, Raven summoned a pad of paper and a pen and began to record everything down. "How about the times?"  
  
"I'd say, the ceremony would last no longer than thirty minutes. Give it forty if you'd like," responded Terra. She seemed to know a lot about weddings, a fact that BB seemed to notice.  
  
"So, Terra, you seem like a pro." He raised and lowered his eyebrows. Terra punched him.  
  
"Um, so how about four-thirty to five? And then the shower and dinner can be from five-thirty to..." Raven stopped, thinking about the end time.  
  
"How about way into the night? Like eleven!" suggested Cyborg.  
  
"A little two late, don't you think," said Robin.  
  
"Why? Wha—oh. _Ohhhh_! Gotcha!" Cyborg winked, causing the Boy Wonder to blush and Raven to frown.  
  
"_Right_. And we'll leave for Hawaii the very next day and stay for a week." Raven jotted it down, "So all that's left is who to invite."  
  
"Bruce and Alfred—"spoke Robin.  
  
"—And the rest of the Titan friends and their families—"Cy added.  
  
"—And all the hot chicks in town!" Terra started pummeling Beast Boy.  
  
"Ow ow, Terra, I was just—ow! Kidding!"  
  
"How about the important people in Jump City? I am sure they would want to witness such a spectacular event," said Starfire. Robin nodded and his fiancé wrote it down.  
  
"Well, I guess we've covered most of the things." Raven yawned. "Here Richard," she tossed the pad to him and got up, "I'm going to bed."  
  
Robin watched her walk out of the living room and threw the paper to a startled Cyborg, "I'll do the same. Night everyone."  
  
As he left, Cy stared at the paper in his lap. "Hey! What am _I_ supposed to do? It's not _my_ wedding!"  
  
Robin entered his room and found that Raven was showering. He proceeded to get out his toothbrush and asked, "So Raven, are you excited about the wedding?"  
  
"Why don't you guess?" She popped her head out form the curtains. "And Richard, don't you think you need to take a shower?"  
  
Robin smiled. "As a matter of fact, I do." He shed his clothes and got in with Raven.  
  
"Uh, wait no. You _shower_ first."

* * *

Next Chapter: Wedding! (Okay, this time, I'm positive)  
  
Review and I will love you like white-cherry slushies. And for those of you that have reviewed, I love you like caramel frappacinos. 


	3. The Union as One

Disclaimer: Pigs will sprout fuzzy purple wings before I own the Teen Titans.  
  
Thank you kilograms for all the reviews so far. You will all be loved like my Evanescence CD.  
  
So far it's all fluffy, but trust me, all this fluffiness is to build up to the dramatic parts.  
  
**Chapter 3**  
  
Today was the big day; today was Richard's and Raven's wedding; today is where the two will unite to become one.  
  
The day was bright and sunny, perfect beyond perfect. Playful clouds galloped across the cerulean sky, teasing the sun and the breezes.  
  
Raven was standing in front of the mirror in her new wedding gown, glowing from the window light. She had thought long and hard about what color she should choose, because white was defiantly not her color. But then Beast Boy brought up an excellent idea, surprising Raven.  
  
"Remember when all your personalities came together and you were 'white-robed Raven?' Well, make your gown white to symbolize all your personalities coming together for this special occasion."  
  
Raven just stared. _Beast Boy, what did you eat? I've never heard you use vocabulary over the syllables of three._ But the point was taken, and now today, June 22, there stood Raven admiring her snowy gown. It was quite simple. There were no excessive frills or gauze, but it was intricate enough to be beautiful, with a light train trailing her. Raven looked at the clock. It was four-fifteen. The wedding would begin in fifteen minutes.  
  
"Raven, you look so awesome!" Terra walked towards her in her own dress, which was cream colored.  
  
"And here are your flowers." Starfire handed the bride a bouquet of purple, white, and cream flowers.  
  
Raven smiled. Soon she was going to Raven Grayson._ I have a feeling this is going to be the best day of my life. Let's just hope I don't blow up the cake or anything._  
  
Meanwhile, in the groom's room, Robin was making finishing touches to his suit. Cyborg was busy fastening the rings to a pillow in a basket. It was decided that Beast Boy would turn into a dog and bring the rings up the aisle to the altar, if he didn't do anything stupid. Terra had already threatened to break his favorite video game if he did something unexpected. Beast Boy just grinned and replied, "Don't worry. I'll make this day a day you'd always remember." Robin only hoped he wasn't playing with the words.  
  
He straightened his tie and looked at himself in the mirror. _This is it._

_-----_  
  
The church door opened, letting in the afternoon glow, and out walked Starfire and Terra, both smiling and holding smaller replicas of Raven's bouquet. Beast Boy, now a dog, started to drool on the basket and only stopped when Raven gave him a half-hearted death glare through her veil. In the background, an organ was playing. Next walked out Saphir, Aqualad's daughter, happily throwing lavender and cream rose petals on the walkway.  
  
Suddenly, the guests gasped softly in wonderment. Robin looked up, and his heart skipped a beat. There was Raven, gliding down the petal filled aisle, as beautiful as Aphrodite herself. Her purple hair matched perfectly with the flowers she was holding.  
  
Raven beamed as she stared straight ahead at Robin, his mouth slightly open in amazement. He's so handsome in that suit. _If only he could have taken off his mask to show his striking eyes, the color of the seas, the sky, and the lush forests._ She felt the many eyes of the wedding guests following her graceful movements. Finally reaching the altar, Raven turned to face Robin, both of them grinning with pure love. None of the two heard a word the priest was saying. Both were lost staring at the other and only woke up from their daze when giving the consent to the marriage. There was a sudden scream of amazement in the crowd and everyone looked up to see what had caused it.  
  
Out came Beast Boy with the basket in his mouth, but he wasn't the dog he had promised. He was a lion. Terra gasped and could have fainted right there.  
  
The lion paced up the aisle proudly, making each step powerfully but graceful at the same time. Many guests sitting near the path shied away with awed eyes. The green lion held up his head high and gave the basket to Robin, winking. Raven couldn't keep a stern face as she faced Beast Boy, but ended up grinning. The animal-shifter changed back into the tuxedo clad Beast Boy and did a short bow at the stunned audience.  
  
Richard slipped on Raven's ring and she did the same to him.  
  
"I know pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride," spoke the priest.

Robin lifted up Raven's veil and stared deep into her sparkling violet eyes before kissing her to seal their final union. They were one.  
  
The church erupted in applause. There were many guests, considering this was practically the marriage of two celebrities. Cyborg started to weep tears of joy through his normal eye and Beast Boy was cheering.  
  
Richard took hold of Raven's soft hand and both walked down the aisle, both being showered with a rain of grain and birdseed. In the back, Beast Boy turned into a chicken and began to peck at the rice for laughs before being grabbed by the neck by Terra.  
  
The newlyweds stepped into their limo and headed back towards the tower for the banquet. Another limo closely followed, where Cyborg, Starfire, Terra, and Beast Boy sat.  
  
"Raven Grayson. That does have a nice ring to it, doesn't it?" spoke Robin.  
  
"It sounds like a piece of poetry," replied his wife, "So, do you think Terra's going to skewer Beast Boy?"  
  
Richard laughed. "She'll probably want to stuff him first with food."

------  
  
Starfire was deep in thought in the other limo. While the other three titans talked about the wedding and Beast Boy's appearance, Starfire stared out the window, watching the sunlight being interrupted with passing trees and buildings.  
  
_ I know I'm supposed to be happy, but why am I not? Please face it Starfire. Raven and Robin are now married. They are man and wife, and there is nothing you can do about it._ She bit her lip.  
  
_No, but what really pains me right now is that I could have had a chance to be in Raven's place.  
_  
The banquet was so great that even a troubled Starfire could not keep a stern face throughout the whole thing. Cyborg, Beast Boy and Terra were in Happy Land once they caught sight of the food. Everything from gourmet tofu dishes to honey ham and lots more in between were lined up on the tables. There was a grand wedding cake at the end that looked a lot like a miniature cake palace.  
  
The party went late into the late just like planned, with dancing, singing, and lots of laughing. When it came time for Raven to throw the bouquet, Terra got up on a rock and grabbed it, making Beast Boy blush and Cyborg to snicker.  
  
When it ended, Raven and Robin retired for the night, but that didn't mean they slept.  
  
"That was the happiest moment of my life, and that's saying something." Raven paused as Robin leaned down and kissed her gently. "Did you notice Starfire acting a bit, not herself during the party?"  
  
"Well, yea. I was thinking she'd be overjoyed at such a banquet, but she did seem a bit gloomy."  
  
Raven remained silent for a while. The she said slowly. "Do you think she was, well, _jealous_?"  
  
"_Jealous_? Of us?"  
  
"Well, maybe. Everyone did think it would always be you and her, and so did she."  
  
"She did? They did?"  
  
"Especially after Kitten's prom."  
  
Robin shuddered at the memory of dancing with that freak of a thing. "Let's forget all that. The important thing is, I love you, and I'll never hurt you."  
  
Unknown to the newly weds, Starfire had passed their door and heard them talking about her. She sighed and walked away. What exactly did she want to hear anyways? That Robin wants to go back to Starfire just because she was sulking? _Well, if I had it my way, then maybe, yes..._

_

* * *

_  
Next Chapter: Honeymoon in Hawaii  
  
Review and I will love you like _strawberry_ slushies.


	4. Return to Hawaii

Disclaimer: If I owned the Teen Titans, Robin wouldn't be dressed like a summer Christmas festival.  
  
I just got back from the dentist, and they gave me like 10 numb shots even though I can live without any. So now...I think my brain has numbed over...so I'm sorry if this chapter seems a bit slow.  
  
**Chapter 4**  
  
Raven and Robin departed for Hawaii that morning, and arrived around noon. They checked into the same hotel they were in three years ago, but in a smaller room. The view was the same as they were only a floor below the Presidential Suites.  
  
This was their chance to do all the activities they had missed out on earlier: Sight seeing, hikes to volcano parks, lots of shopping, and later scuba diving and snorkeling. Every evening the pair would return to the same secluded area to watch the romantic sunset like they did when they were younger.  
  
One night in the hotel room, Raven took out her mirror and showed it to Robin.  
  
"That's a nice mirror you got there," he replied, "It's...spiky."  
  
"It's not any mirror. It's a mirror into my mind I use for meditation."  
  
Before Robin could show any confusion, Raven grabbed his hand and both disappeared into the swirling vortex, and landed gracefully on a rock, well, Raven did at least.  
  
"Raven, where are we?" Robin got up and massaged his head. He looked around at what seemed be somewhat close to outer space, except the stars were red. Many others, leading a path somewhere, joined the floating rock underneath him.  
  
"Where do you think we are? I just told you a second ago."  
  
"Um, I thought I knew, but you have to say, this is a bit scary."  
  
"You're calling my mind scary?"  
  
"Well, we're walking on jagged rocks floating in a black and red void. Sure, why not?"  
  
"You're going to meet my emotions."  
  
"You're what?"  
  
Suddenly, a pink clad version jumped up and hugged Robin until he turned the red. She started to giggle. "Oh Robbie-pooh!"  
  
If Robin ever showed fear, this was it. He screamed and grabbed the real Raven, completely shuddering at the voice. "IT'S HER! IT'S HER! IT'S KITTEN! Get me out of here! Get me—"  
  
A slightly disgusted Raven slapped him. "Get a hold of yourself, Richard. That's Happy Raven."  
  
He turned and faced the giggling pink Raven. "Um..."  
  
Happy laughed. "You look so hilarious when you're scared."  
  
More Ravens rose from the ground around them, all clad in different colors ranging from yellow to gray to purple to red.  
  
"I've never seen so many beautiful women in my life," said a goggling Robin. Raven rolled her eyes.  
  
"Well, this is Intelligence, Bravery, Timid, Rude, Caring, Anger, Sarcasm, Openness, and Love."  
  
"So this is kind of like, talking to yourself?" Robin began to weave in and out of the emotions and Love planted him a kiss at the end. "Whoa, sweet."  
  
"Isn't it? My food is seriously being kept down by that," droned Sarcasm.  
  
"Yo Robin, your breath stinks like poo," yelled Rude, belching.  
  
"What?"  
  
Raven pulled her husband out of the crowd. "I think it's time to head back. You'll have plenty of time to get accustomed."  
  
"That was the single most weirdest moment of my life," said Robin when they were transported back into the hotel room, "And does my breath seriously smell like poo?" He brought his hand up to his mouth and breathed into it.  
  
Raven laughed. "So, want to go for a midnight swim?"  
  
"In the pool?"  
  
"No, in the ocean."  
  
Robin stared out at the window and was surprised the beach was practically empty, with only a few people packing away. Sometimes, parties would be held late into the night and surfers would glide under the moon like eerie ghosts.  
  
"Uh, sure." Then it hit him that he hadn't seen Raven in a swimming suit yet. He turned around and found her completely changed, and his mouth flew open.  
  
Raven was wearing a two-piece dark blue, almost black, halter-top. The delicate ties fell lightly down her back like two streams of dark water. She smiled as she posed for him. "You're not swimming in your clothes are you?"  
  
Robin tore his eyes away from her beautiful body and found his trunks. He changed in the bathroom and both walked down to the beach with towels in their hands.  
  
"I assume there won't be any sharks?" Robin sounded a bit worried. "It would be great if we returned with all our flesh."  
  
"Who do you think I am?" Raven got into the cool waters, letting the serenity wash over her. "I'll keep them away with my powers."  
  
They playfully swam under the midnight sky where stars glistened like diamonds embedded in a blanket of black velvet. When the water got too cold, Raven and Robin ran towards the empty hot tub next to the pool, both soaking in the bubbly warmth. He wrapped his arm around Raven and both stared at the sky, sparkling like spilled glitter.  
  
"Raven, can I ask you something?"  
  
"I would think that being married gives you the right to ask questions whenever."  
  
Robin slowly chuckled but remained silent for a while.  
  
Raven shifted and turned to face him. "Richard, what's on your mind?"  
  
"Have you ever considered kids?"  
  
A nearby trashcan melted and exploded. This was not what Raven had in mind. "So soon?" she whispered, still stunned.  
  
"Well, it's just that..." Robin paused and looked into the illuminated water, "It's just that I want a family." He looked up and stared deep into Raven's violet eyes that were reflecting the shimmery glow of the tub. "I want us to be the parents we barely knew or never had."  
  
Raven sighed heavily and stroked his cheek. "I understand."  
  
"You do?"  
  
"I've had my fantasies. I had wished to have a child and to love it like I've never been loved before from my parents. My father just uses me as a pawn for power, and I hardly remember my mother."  
  
"You seem a bit uncertain still, though."  
  
Raven sighed again and started popping the bubbles that swam to the surface. "I just don't want Trigon to use our child as another pawn. And he or she would have to learn how to control their emotions, like me..." She trailed off. "I don't want Trigon to harm or control his grandchildren."  
  
Robin pulled her into a tight embrace and softly kissed her forehead. "Then I'll promise to protect them."  
  
Raven smiled and looked into his eyes. He had taken off his mask before swimming and the two orbs were shining from the watery reflection and the sea of stars above. It seemed like the sky and the ocean had come together to create those perfect eyes.  
  
"I know you will, Richard, I know you will."  
  
Both got out and headed back to their room, dripping water and holding hands.

* * *

A little short but my stomach is as empty as an Easter egg during the winter. Or my sister's brain.  
  
Next Chapter: Starfire breaks down...  
  
Review and I will love you like pineapple slushies! (Or just pick a flavor) (Wink) 


	5. Traitor!

Disclaimer: If Teen Titans isn't showing non-stop show after show after show...then I guess I'm not in control.  
  
I am in no way bashing Starfire or any other character. I like them all (except for the villains). Please keep in mind that everything has a reason behind it.  
  
**EDIT**: The fight has been restored with more details.  
  
**Chapter 5**  
  
Robin and Raven were coming back that evening, and Starfire finally decided to talk to Terra about...her feelings. For such a long time whenever she needed help, it was Raven whom she'd turn to. _But it's all different now._  
  
"Terra?" Starfire lightly knocked on her door, "Terra, may I...talk to you?" The door slid open.  
  
"Sure thing, so, what's on your mind?" Terra took off her earphones and motioned Starfire to sit next to her on the bed.  
  
"It is about Robin and Raven." _Terra doesn't know much about Robin and me though..._ "You see, before you came, everything was different. It was I who liked Robin, and for the longest time, I thought he returned those feelings." She paused for remarks from Terra, but none came, so Starfire continued, "Then, we went on a trip to Hawaii, and Robin got closer to Raven."  
  
"So you're saying you're..._jealous_ of them?"  
  
Starfire's eyes flashed. "Yes. Yes, I am jealous of them. I am jealous of Raven because she stole the only boy I loved, and ever will love! She is a traitor!" She then proceeded to call Raven something in Tamaranian.  
  
Terra held up her hand. "Wait, hold on a sec there. You never said how Robin got closer to her."  
  
The other titan started to fidget with Terra's bed sheets. They were the color of the bright sky outside and felt like fluffy cotton. "Well, they both fell ill during the trip, so Cyborg, Beast Boy, and I went on the tour without them. This continued for a few days, and they developed feelings for each other. I do not know of how."  
  
"They didn't fall ill purposely, did they?" The earth physic questioned.  
  
"No, it was food poisoning. They ordered the same thing, and unless you are saying that Robin deliberately made himself miserably ill to get closer to that witch, you are lying because he would never do such a thing! She must have brainwashed him with her powers the whole time because I know Robin will never fall for anybody but me!" Starfire broke down sobbing. "I have loved him since the day we met and now all my efforts have gone to waste."  
  
Terra patted her friend on the back. "I'm sorry Starfire, but there isn't anything we can do about that now."  
  
Starfire ignored her kind and logical words. "Does he not know of the reason behind my smiles? The hints in my voice? The way I care for him when he gets hurt in a battle? Does he not know of the pain I went through when Slade took him as his apprentice?" She was sobbing even harder now, and her shoulders shook from the power. "Does he not that I _love_ him!?"  
  
Terra was bewildered. She didn't anticipate the conversation to be so dramatic. "Please, Starfire, get a hold of yourself! There is nothing you can do but to move on! Raven and Robin are married. Unless you want to cause them both pain, all you can do is to be a friend and accept the truth."  
  
"But I do not wish to accept the truth!" With that Starfire ran out of the room, crying into her hands. She ran right into Beast Boy a few strides from Terra's door, but didn't notice.  
  
"Um Terra? What's with Starfire?" The green titan entered her girlfriend's room with a quizzical look on his face, "Why is she acting all sobby?"  
  
"Inner struggles. She'll get over it soon."  
  
"Oh. Well, I've come for my video game controller. It's been almost a week and a half and you know I can't live without my baby for that long! Cyborg's starting to beat all my high scores!" He started to twitch.  
  
"But since you scared the shiz out of so many wedding guests, I'm keeping it for longer." She put back her earphones and increased the volume of her MP3 player to drown out the furious cries of Beast Boy.  
  
"Aw man! It wasn't like I was acting hungry or anything! Terra? Terra!"  
  
Starfire lay weeping in her bed. She knew she was being selfish, but somehow, it was impossible to move on. It seemed like all her efforts to love Robin had taken a part of her away that would never return. I'm so confused and hurt!  
  
Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Cyborg was preparing dinner to celebrate the return of the Grayson's.  
  
"BB, could you get over here and help me? The soup needs stirring and the dessert needs cooling, and I'm up to my knees in doing everything!"  
  
"I ain't helping if there isn't any tofu dishes." Beast Boy crossed his arms and stuck up his nose.  
  
"Aw, don't be an idiot. There are plenty of veggie dishes for that queer appetite for yours. Now stop acting like a tofu-maggot and get over here and help me."  
  
"A what!? No!"  
  
"Beast Boy! Don't make me get Terra!"  
  
That did it. Beast Boy started to panic and went right away to help Cyborg. "What's this? Since when did you learn how to make Mediterranean dishes?"  
  
"Since you stopped bothering me, that's when."  
  
A few hours later, Raven and Robin returned home and were greeted by Terra and Beast Boy.  
  
"How was Hawaii?"  
  
"Did you guys go scuba diving?"  
  
"Really? Did you see any sharks?"  
  
"How was the volcano? Wasn't it as awesome as I told you?"  
  
"Was the shopping good? Did you bring back any souvenirs?"  
  
Raven shoved her suitcase into Beast Boy, shutting him up for the moment. "Great, yes, yes, flat, yes, yes, and yes."  
  
"Where is everyone else?" Robin looked around.  
  
"Cy's in the kitchen cooking a fancy-smancy meal and Starfire's... in her room," responded Terra, guiding Beast Boy towards the elevator.  
  
"In her room? Doing what?" But Terra had already closed the elevator door. Robin turned to Raven and she shrugged.  
  
"Probably talking on the phone or naming her clothes," She said with a hint of a playful smile.  
  
"Dinner y'all!" Cyborg called over the intercom. "Come and get it before I change my mind!"  
  
They headed towards the dining room and were surprised by the amount of food. Cyborg, it seemed, had gone cookoo for Mediterranean foods.  
  
There was a huge dish of Greek Salad, a bowl of Mediterranean soup with Parmesan, Smoked Salmon, Calamari pasta, Regina pizza, Meat Tapas, Spanish stir-fry, Grilled Kingklip, and Rack of Lamb. For dessert, there was a sweet smelling and luscious hot Malva pudding. No one could stop drooling, even a heartsick Starfire.  
  
"Dig in!" Cyborg cheerfully cried.  
  
Throughout the delicious dinner, Starfire would not talk to Robin or Raven. She had thought that if she glanced in their direction, tears will come out or she'll blow up in anger. Robin slightly noticed but never got a chance to speak to her because Terra wanted to see their souvenirs and pictures of the wedding and of Hawaii after dessert.  
  
Starfire stayed long enough to receive her gift, but went up to her room right after that. Robin followed her with his gaze, but Raven pulled him away to talk.  
  
"Remember when you said about starting a family?"  
  
"I remember every word you have ever said, Raven."  
  
She smiled and kissed him. "Want to start now?"

* * *

A month later and Raven was with child. Robin was delighted.  
  
"You know we're going to spoil that child more than rotten milk, don't you?" said Cyborg.  
  
"I hope he likes tofu!" Beast Boy cried.  
  
"Man, _nobody likes tofu_!" The half-robot towered over the green titan, "And how do you know it's going to be a 'he'?"  
  
"My beastly sensors are telling me it's got one Y chromosome and one X chromosome!"  
  
Terra burst out in laughter. "Beastly...sensors!?"  
  
"Well, I am hoping it will be a girl so both of us can indulge in the mall of shopping," said Starfire, forcing a smile. Inside her heart, rockslides were occurring. This is making it worse to forget.  
  
"Well, whatever gender it is, Raven can't fight crime until afterwards," said Robin, wrapping an arm around her.  
  
"Hey, no prob! It's not like there's been anything going on for a while." Right when Beast Boy finished his sentence, the alarm went off. Terra snickered at him.  
  
"Beastly sensors, huh?"  
  
Robin tapped into the computer and a screen showed up with the faces of Jinx, Mammoth and Gizmo.  
  
"Aw man, it's them again," growled Cyborg, glaring particularly at Gizmo.  
  
"Well, they're destroying the city jail, so we better get going," replied Robin. He headed over to Raven and hugged her. "Stay safe, okay? We'll return soon."  
  
"Uh, having Junior inside me doesn't render me helpless as a fish, you know."  
  
"Right." He smiled. "Titans, GO!"  
  
Raven watched them go, and sat down on the couch with a new suspense novel. It was off to a romantic and perfect start, but the ride soon turned into a frightening roller coaster. She had been reading for about two hours when the front door banged open and loud voices were heard. Robin's voice rang out, "Raven! Are you here? We need some help!"  
  
She quickly flew to the elevator just in time for the team to walk out, supporting Starfire. Her eyes were closed and her face was deathly pale.  
  
Raven gasped. "Starfire! What happened to her?"  
  
"She was hit by one of Jinx's curses. We need your help to determine what exactly is wrong," spoke Terra as they carried the faint titan to her bright room.  
  
As soon as Starfire hit her bed, her eyes shot open and she grabbed the nearest person, which happened to be Raven.  
  
"_Traitor_!" She screamed, "You betrayed me!"  
  
Raven was too startled to move and soon Starfire yanked her cloak, pulling her to her knees. The dark titan emitted a small cry of shock and Robin quickly tried to loosen Starfire's grasp.  
  
"Starfire! What are you doing? Let go of her!" He was worried about his wife and the sanity of his friend. "Starfire!"  
  
"_Never_!" yelled the Tamaranian, "Never! She stole you from me and she will pay!" Her eyes started to glow into an eerie shade of whitish-green.  
  
Raven started to struggle and soon her cloak ripped, sending her stumbling into the arms of Cyborg.  
  
By now, the redhead had sat up on her bed and was pointing a shaking finger in the direction of Raven and was speaking in a voice unlike her own. "You have caused me pain for three years straight. I will be sure that the pain will not be mine alone to share!"  
  
Robin sensed immediate danger and yelled for Raven to get out of the room. "Raven go!"  
  
She didn't need telling twice. Terrified at what had become of her friend, she fled into the hallway.  
  
Starfire shrieked in anger. "I am not through with you yet! Come back here and pay! Come back here and pay for your damage!" She levitated and flew for the door, her eyes growing white.  
  
"Starfire, no!" Terra lunged but missed. Beast Boy turned into a crow and attempted to pull the mad titan back by her hair, but she grabbed him and flung him down next to Terra. Cyborg grabbed Starfire's arm, but soon pulled back in pain when it grew blinding hot.  
  
Starfire was turning into a monster. All the pain of the past few years had build up inside of her. The pile of rocks in her heart erupted into molten lava, and the volcano exploded. With the added ache of Jinx's curse, Starfire finally released her fury and frustrations.  
  
Robin leapt into the hallway after Starfire. The only thing in his mind was to protect Raven and their child. He had to find a way to calm the angry titan before she got too much out of hand.  
  
Meanwhile, Raven could feel the presence of Starfire closing in on her. She flew into her room and shut the door tightly. _What was happening? Was Starfire overreacting to the curse or did her jealousy really get the better of her?_ Soon, she heard the crackling laughter. The door was enveloped in red heat and melted down. Raven backed away towards her bed, eyes wide.  
  
"Starfire! What has become of you? Is it the curse?"  
  
The Tamaranian's eyes were blinding white and her darkening hair was flowing freely, radiating energy. Even her skin was growing dark, growing odd symbols and swirls.  
  
"Three years have I endured. Three years have I put up with you betraying me! _Three years_ have I lived for this day!" She threw her head back in deep laughter and shot a silver orb towards Raven, who rapidly dodged it.  
  
Starfire, still enraged, aimed at her again and blew up the desk a few inches away. Raven could feel the sudden heat and pulled away. She looked up just in time to see another star bolt heading her way and quickly drew a black shield against it.  
  
"Starfire, please, what—"Raven was cut short by the sight of another bolt coming at her and quickly enclosed a full protective shield against her. She didn't wish to fight Starfire, not when it seemed she had no idea what was going on. _She didn't, did she?_  
  
"You're not getting away this easily!" Starfire shot countless star bolts one after another and white beams appeared from her eyes to add to the furious attack.  
  
Raven's eyes started to close tightly as she placed all her concentration on her shield. She could feel it cracking slightly under the assault of bolts and took a step back. If someone didn't stop the fuming Starfire, Raven's magic would break under the pressure.  
  
Robin arrived just in time to see a white split in Raven's black bubble. Fearing for her life, and Starfire's if Raven also became angry, he knocked the Tamaranian down with his Bo-staff, sending her into unconsciousness. He quickly rushed to Raven, who immediately fainted into her bed from exhaustion.  
  
"Raven! Raven, are you okay?" The worry in his voice brought the rest of the three titans charging into the room.  
  
Raven peeled open her eyes and started sobbing into Robin's chest, making objects crack in her room.  
  
Terra headed towards the sleeping Starfire, who was returning to her normal color. "She seems fine now...Boy, that was freaky."  
  
"Wow," whispered Beast Boy, "Now we know Raven isn't the only one who goes ugly when she's angry." Cyborg elbowed him, maybe a little too forcefully because he toppled into a table and knocked it down with him.  
  
Robin was stoking her hair and whispering into Raven's ear, but his efforts weren't working. She was sobbing harder and more objects were melting down or exploding like fireworks on the Fourth of July.  
  
"Shh, Raven, calm down. It's over now."  
  
"She...I-I don't...mad.... at me...this," Raven tried to talk in-between her sobs but to no avail. "It was... S-she...wanted...t-to hurt...kill...me but...I didn't know...wh-what to do!"  
  
Robin hugged her tighter and continued to reassure her. Terra and BB picked up Starfire and brought her back to her room, and this time, she didn't wake up and lunge for anyone. Cyborg brought out his scanner and checked her.  
  
"She's sleeping peacefully now." He put back the scanner. "I wonder what made her explode like that?"  
  
"Uh," Terra stepped up, "Before Robin and Raven came back from Hawaii, she and I had a talk. About her jealousy against the pair."  
  
"So that's why she was all sniffly that day I went to get my controller back!" BB wondered out loud.  
  
"And she finally blew up when she couldn't handle it anymore!" Cyborg replied, "But how do we stop her if she does that again when she awakes?"  
  
"Let's just hope she'll realize what she's doing is wrong." With that, the three left and closed the door and headed to see how Raven was doing.  
  
They found her sleeping with her head still in Robin's chest and his arms around her shaking figure. He noticed the silhouettes of the three titans and whispered, "She's still shaken from the ordeal, but she'll be fine. How's Starfire?"  
  
"Sleeping. She's returned to um, normal," replied Terra.  
  
"Good." Robin placed Raven gently down into her bed and pulled the covers over, "That was my most terrifying experience ever." He bent down and kissed her forehead, staring a while at the gleaming ruby that adorned her forehead.  
  
An hour went by and Starfire woke up with a jolt. All she remembered was the swirling thoughts of Raven together with Robin, and she couldn't control it anymore. It escaped and she unleashed the fury on Raven. Starfire remembered the frightened look on Raven's startled face and started to sob from confusion.  
  
"Starfire?"  
  
She jumped. It was Robin's voice. He opened the door and stepped in.  
  
"Starfire? Why are you crying? What happened back there?" His voice wasn't forceful, but full of concern and question.  
  
She started to shake. "I don't know. I-"Starfire gasped for air. Maybe it was time to tell the truth that I have been hiding for years. "Robin, remember how-how I used to show...feelings for you?"  
  
Robin nodded but remained silent. It was her turn to talk, not his.  
  
Starfire looked up with a tear-streaked face and continued. "I always thought it would end up me and you. I always thought you returned those feelings of affection. But I was wrong." She turned away. "You got together with Raven, my best friend, and I started to feel different feelings towards you and her. I started feeling jealous. No matter how hard I try, I just cannot stop those feelings. For the past three years I have kept them hidden inside me. And today-"Starfire paused and a tear found it's way out of her emerald eyes. "Today, they got loose."  
  
The titan sitting in the chair across from her still remained silent, staring at the floor. She couldn't take it the quiet.  
  
"Robin! Do you not know how much pain you have caused me?"  
  
"Starfire," he began in a hushed voice, "I can't turn back now. I still love you, but it's a different love than mine for Raven. I love you like a dear friend. You can still regain your ability to do the same too."  
  
Starfire hung her head. She had expected yelling, screaming, waterfalls of questions. "I-I'm sorry Robin," she whispered.  
  
"It is not to me you must apologize to, Starfire, it's reserved for Raven." He left the room, letting the light from the hallway pour in, illuminating her glowing face.  
  
She got up and closed the door, trapping herself in darkness, and in the darkness where, somehow, the conversation with Robin was lost and forgotten.  
  
"I can't."

* * *

Phew. Long chapter.  
  
Next Chapter: Raven tries to talk to Starfire  
  
Please review. Don't forget to grab a cookie on your way out! (Wink) 


	6. She Wants to See the World

Disclaimer: They'll have green cookies in booger flavor before I own the Teen Titans.  
  
It's amazing how many stupid mistakes one can find after reading the thing out loud. It's about time I did that. Sorry if some of my chapters had a few mistakes. I'll try real hard now not to repeat myself.  
  
**Chapter 6  
**  
Raven woke up, not knowing where she was. It took a while to realize she was in her own room, in her own comfortable bed. And then, she remembered what had happened. With a jolt, Raven sat up and someone stirred beside her, startling her.  
  
"Raven, you're awake." It was Robin.  
  
"Oh Richard, it's just you." Raven sighed with relief and lied back down next to him, facing the other way. Robin wrapped his arms around her waist.  
  
"How are you feeling Raven?" He rubbed his hand over her abdomen, thinking of his son or daughter growing inside. Raven, thankfully, still sensed the presence of her child after the ordeal.  
  
She placed her hand on his to stop the tickling feelings. "Better. So what happened? What happened to Starfire?"  
  
"You were right. She was jealous of us for the past three years, and today, she just sort of...lost control. I talked to her and she'll turn around, soon I hope."  
  
Raven felt a twinge of guilt. _But why should I feel guilty for the choice of Richard and mine? I hope Starfire moves on though.._."Of all things, that really scared me. Thanks for saving me."  
  
"Oh what's that? Raven's _scared_?"  
  
She giggled and nudged his stomach with her elbow. She turned to face him and smiled. There was a long pause as each stared into the other's eyes, lost in the swirling pool of the sea or the heart of an amethyst.  
  
"So," said Robin, "How do think our kid's going to be like?"  
  
"Better not stupid like her father."  
  
Robin laughed. "Or a scaredy-cat like her mother. Wait, how do you know it's going to be a girl?"  
  
She rolled her eyes. "Do you really want me to trust Beast Boy's, what's it, _beastly sensors_?"  
  
"You got a point there. So, what will we name her?"  
  
"You worry too much. I'll name her after she's born."  
  
"Going to go for the first impression tool?"  
  
"Well, that's what I used on you."  
  
"Really now? So what did you...think?"  
  
"That you were ever so handsome, intelligent, and as stubborn as an ass."  
  
"Well I thought you were the most beautiful thing I had ever seen." Robin kissed her. Raven's insides melted.  
  
"Aw, Richard. That is just so sweet." Both remained silent for a while. Raven turned around and gazed at the twinkling stars. Two shooting stars whizzed past and one crossed the other's path. It reminded Raven of her and Robin: two star-crossed lovers brought together by destiny.  
  
The next day during breakfast, Starfire came out looking very pale. She hadn't slept a wink last night and most of the time her eyes were full of warm crystal tears. Once she entered the room, the conversations halted. Raven was staring at her with expressionless eyes, almost sad.  
  
Starfire sighed and looked down. _It was her fault, yet it wasn't at the same time_. Beast Boy decided to break the awkward silence.  
  
"Uh, good morning Starfire. Would you like some of my famous signature tofu recipes?"  
  
Starfire eyed him with a hint of suspicion. "No thanks Beast Boy. I- I'm fine." She sat down at the end of the table and grabbed a pancake and some syrup. Starfire looked so lonely that even Raven softened up.  
  
"Um, Starfire, would you like to meditate with me on the roof after breakfast?"  
  
Everyone, including the Tamaranian, stared at her with surprise. Out of all people, the titans thought she'd be the last to be so kind this early to her. However, soon the visage of Starfire hardened. She didn't need more yelling or questions.  
  
"I am sorry Raven, but this morning I do not wish to." She left her half eaten breakfast and left. Raven stared at the closing door and followed.  
  
Starfire felt someone behind her and whipped around to stare face to face with Raven.  
  
"Look Starfire, we should talk."  
  
"No Raven, there is nothing to talk about!"  
  
The dark titan took a step back and frowned. "What do you mean, _there's nothing to talk about_? We should sort this out before it gets worse!"  
  
"Look, you cannot just show up and tell me how to live my life. You took the only boy I would ever love, and all the effort of trying to please him has drained me of _everything_ I have."  
  
"Wait, I _took_? I did not take Richard away from anybody. It was his choice!" She remembered the two meteors last night. "It was fate!"  
  
"I do not know of this fate you talk about, but all I know is if it were not for you, Robin would be with _me_!" She turned around sharply and began to walk away.  
  
Raven scowled in confusion and said quietly, "You're not making any sense, Starfire."  
  
The redhead spun around again. "Well, Raven, you are not either! Robin does not deserve you!"  
  
"What?"  
  
"You heard me, he does not deserve you!" Her voice was shaking now. "He deserves someone like me!"  
  
"Starfire, something's wrong, isn't there?" Raven made a few hesitant steps forward.  
  
The other titan remained silent and quickly walked away. _Please Raven, I do not wish to argue anymore. Love hurts so much it needs a long time to heal.  
_  
Unknown to Starfire, Raven could read minds. She caught her last thoughts and knew it was confusion that was swallowing up Starfire and not so much as black hate. Smiling slightly, Raven went back to finish her breakfast. Her appetite was growing.  
  
It was eight months later, give a few weeks and nothing changed much. Raven could pretty much walk around blindfolded because the inside of the towers was pretty much all she had seen for the past. Robin had been chasing leads to Slade for four months straight. He kept getting information about Slade's _heir_. Many days Robin would disappear into his room, wishing to be alone, and then return to Raven's side late into the late when she was already asleep.  
  
Starfire was warmer, but still the same ice towards Raven. It must have hurt her a lot to still be like this after almost four years. Beast Boy and Terra were spending a lot of time together at the mall or at a theme park. Cyborg left for some special training and would return in about a few days.  
  
With pretty much no one to talk to, Raven spent hours meditating in her room, not that she minded anyways. During meditation, she could catch glimpses of her child and could nourish it with her powers. She could sense it was girl and a slightly active one at that. It was even caught sucking its thumb once, which made Raven laugh heartedly. How she couldn't wait to hold the child in her arms.  
  
A sudden knock on Raven's door brought her out of the serenity. It opened and in stepped Robin.  
  
"Richard." Her voice had a hint of coldness to it. "This is the first time I've seen you in days."  
  
"Raven, honey, I've come to um, apologize for that." He sat down next to her on the bed. Raven continued to stare at the light pouring from the hallways onto the floor, illuminating the reddish-purple carpet.  
  
"Raven, I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I haven't been there for you for the past few...months."  
  
Tears started to build in Raven's majestic eyes. "I've been so _lonely_," she whispered.  
  
Robin leaned over and pulled her into a loving hug. "I know. Me too."  
  
Suddenly Raven felt a jolt and sheer pain. She started gasping and clutching her stomach. Robin looked startled and his eyes flashed with fright.  
  
"Richard," Raven breathed, "She wants to see the world."

* * *

Sorry about the shortness. Some chapters call to be short, and this is one of them.  
  
Next Chapter: The child is born. Possible song-fic. The second genre of the story comes in place.  
  
Review and you shall make me smile. 


	7. My Last Breath

Disclaimer: I'll own the Teen Titans when Tom finally catches and eats Jerry. So basically, I don't. The song is by _Evanescence_, and not me, doi.  
  
**Chapter 7  
**  
Robin paced in front the delivery room. He was praying and hoping with all his heart that everything would be okay and his daughter will be healthy. It had been around an hour already and the April sky was darkening with night. A distant roll of thunder floated over. Beast Boy, Terra, and Starfire were sitting in the waiting room, anxious to know the outcome. Cyborg just got the news and was probably still stuck in the traffic.  
  
To calm his nerves, Robin started brainstorming on possible names. Emma...no, to pinkish sounding...Iris...cute, but too flowery...Starling...now that's a nice name, but...no...  
  
The door opened and he turned around. A doctor came out grinning and told him it was a girl. Robin smiled and walked in. Raven looked exhausted but her eyes were brimming with joyful tears as she saw him.  
  
"Richard..."  
  
Robin quickly went over and held her pale hands and started to smooth her hair. "Raven. How are you?"  
  
Before she could answer, a sudden dizziness took over. Something was wrong; something was deathly wrong. She grabbed his hand tightly and took in a sharp breath of cold air. Her head sank back down into the pillow.  
  
Robin suddenly sensed alarm. "Raven?"  
  
**Hold on to me love **

**You know I can't stay long **

**All I wanted to say was I love you and I'm not afraid.**  
  
"Richard, I love you..."  
  
**Can you hear me? **

**Can you feel me in your arms?**  
  
"I love you too...Raven? What's wrong?"  
  
**Holding my last breath **

**Safe inside myself **

**Are all my thoughts of you **

**Sweet raptured light **

**It ends here tonight.**  
  
Raven's thoughts started to swirl. Memories flooded into her mind. Hawaii...her first kiss...the sunset...laughs and tears.... When Richard proposed to her in code that Christmas...  
  
**I'll miss the winter **

**A world of fragile things **

**Look for me in the white forest **

**Hiding in a hollow tree (Come find me)**  
  
Robin's tears started to fall. "Raven! Stay with me!"  
  
"Please take care of her." Her voice was fragile like a cloud in the dry summer sky. Her eyelids felt so heavy...  
  
**I know you hear me **

**I can taste it in your tears.**  
  
_No, this cannot be happening._ "Please Raven! Don't go!" Robin's face was streaked with hot tears that seared his skin. "Everything will be fine! Raven, please wake up!" He shut his eyes out of desperation. _No..._

__**Holding my last breath **

**Safe inside myself **

**Are all my thoughts of you **

**Sweet raptured light **

**It ends here tonight.**

It was getting harder and harder to take breaths now. Her head was throbbing with pain like she had never felt before. _No...Stay strong....for Richard...No..._ Even her thoughts were failing.

**Closing your eyes to disappear **

**You pray your dreams will leave you here **

**But still you wake and know the truth **

**No one's there**  
  
A commotion broke out and the doctors rushed to Raven's side. They began to pry Robin away from her, telling him they needed to take immediate action; telling him that she may still live if they do something now. He struggled against their pushes, denying the fact that Raven wasn't fine.  
  
"No! RAVENNN!"  
  
**Say goodnight  
  
Don't be afraid  
  
Calling me calling me as you fade to black.**  
  
"Raven! Raven! Raven..."  
  
Tears cascaded down her pale face. Raven forced her eyes to open for one last time, but the black suddenly enveloped her painfully. I love you Richard...I love Richard...  
  
The door slammed. Robin found himself in the blurred hallways once more. He was screaming so loud inside it hurt. His heart seemed to be shattering, piece-by-piece, slowly cutting him. _NO...Raven...!_ He banged on the door and the sound echoed eerily.  
  
_ This cannot be. Please don't let anything happen to her, please...please...please. I love her more than anything. I love her too much._  
  
Robin caught sight of a painting of Jesus, and before he knew it, was on his knees praying. _Please God, I have never asked you for anything before, and now I ask for your help. I ask for your guidance to heal Raven. I ask that you return my wife to her husband. Please, this isn't about me...this is for her. This is for my Raven._ Tears erupted again. _Amen_.  
  
Minutes passed, and then an hour. Robin was found pacing by the door again, but this time, his worry was as deep as the ocean itself. _I'm not supposed to be back here walking a furrow; I'm supposed to be by Raven's side, looking into the face of my daughter.  
  
_ The door behind him creaked open, making his heart jump. A doctor came out wearing a solemn face.  
  
Robin couldn't speak. The silence seemed to be stretched for eternity as the doctor opened his mouth to speak nine words. Nine words that seemed to shatter Robin's perfect world in an instant.  
  
"I'm sorry Mr. Grayson, but your wife passed away."

* * *

(Author bursts out crying...)  
  
Nooo, don't kill me. Please. Raven may still have a chance of coming back in the sequel that's still planning in my head. Keyword: **may**  
  
Next Chapter: What will Robin name his daughter? 


	8. Rae

Disclaimer: I wouldn't be writing this if I owned the Teen Titans.  
  
**Reply to the reviews:** As readers, you should all learn to trust the author. Please, would I actually let my _favorite_ character disappear forever off the face of my stories?  
  
More tear jerkers...(Silence)(...SOB...) Most of the things in this chapter have been inspired by the movie "Jersey Girl." (Which I do not own)  
  
**Chapter 8**  
  
Robin was stunned. The walls could be falling apart and melting in lava but he wouldn't notice. In fact, the walls were falling down in his world, his perfect world.  
  
"I'm sorry Mr. Grayson. A vessel in her brain had erupted from the pressure. We did everything, _everything_, we could, but it was too fatal... I'm sorry, I really am," said the doctor, his face still remaining grave.  
  
Robin couldn't take it anymore. "No! She's not dead! She can't be dead!"  
  
The doctor proceeded to place a comforting hand on his shoulder, but Robin shook it off and ran towards the exit into the April rainstorm.  
  
"RAVENNNNNNN!" A clash of thunder drowned out his yell and he fell on his knees, sobbing out all of his sorrow, anger, frustration and confusion.  
  
"Why?" Robin shouted towards the black crying heaven, "Why did you let her die?"  
  
His only answer was a flash of lightning and a forceful clash of thunder. The freezing rain mixed with his fiery tears and raced towards the flooded pavement. Robin walked slowly to the sheltered entrance, but didn't go back. He watched the droplets of water cascade onto the sidewalk, bouncing in all direction on impact. He never felt so alone in his life before.  
  
"_But you're not alone_," came the distant voice of Raven in his head, "_Our daughter is with you now_."  
  
Robin suddenly remembered the baby and turned quickly around, but suddenly Starfire appeared at the door.  
  
"Robin? Why are you all wet? Why," she paused and added quietly, "are you crying?"  
  
Robin closed his eyes for a while, and then tried to walk around her. He didn't want to talk to anybody now. Starfire grabbed him, gently, but strong.  
  
"Please Robin. What has happened?"  
  
He sighed heavily and said the two words he had hoped never to say. "Raven died."  
  
Starfire let go and backed away. Her hand flew to her open mouth and she stared at him disbelieving. "Raven...Raven _died_?"  
  
Robin looked away and went back inside without another word. She watched him go, mouth still open in shock. Her eyes then turned to the cloud filled sky releasing its tears with her. _No...you have answered the _wrong_ prayers! This is not...this is never supposed to happen!_ Starfire covered her wet eyes with her hand and leaned against the wall.  
  
Inside, Robin drifted alone down the lonesome hallway. He suddenly hated how bright everything was. That changed, however, when he stepped into the room full of newborns and spotted a cradle with his last name on it. His heart suddenly melted.  
  
Sleeping soundly inside was the tiniest replica of Raven. The only difference was she had a sprinkle of jet-black hair, like Robin. On her forehead was the same color ruby that had adorned Raven's. He silently wondered what her eye color would be.  
  
"Excuse me sir," came a voice behind him, "Excuse me. Would be the father? I would need to know her name."  
  
Meanwhile, still outside, Starfire's emotions were swirling around like mixed paint.  
  
_I...I did not mean for her to actually die. My dreams of having Robin just got carried away into the real world where my emotions mixed terribly, but I did not know you took half-hearted thoughts seriously. What... happened...?  
_  
Starfire had planned to apologize to Raven this evening. She had planned to apologize with all her heart even, now that she thought about it.  
  
And then, another thought came into her mind. _Robin_. How was he? He needed comforting. She turned swiftly around and went to find him but thought better. Robin needs to be alone...  
  
Robin turned to the nurse and then looked back at the tiny girl. She looks so much like Raven...  
  
"Her name is Raven. Rae for short."

* * *

  
  
Raven's funeral was two days later in the town cemetery. The lightest drizzle was falling, but the sky was covered with dull silver clouds. Robin despised it.  
  
He hated the droning sound of the speech talking about how Raven was in a better place. _What was wrong with the life she had?_ He hated the creaking sounds of the coffin closing, and the final snap as the lid came down. The sharp noise felt like a pair of scissors cutting Raven away from him. He hated to see Raven being lowered into that dark and musty pit, it felt so wrong. Robin desperately wanted to run over and open the lid to find a smiling Raven, making sarcastic jokes at the situation. _Richard, what are you doing? I hardly think I'm dead enough to be buried._ But he knew that was no sarcasm. There would be no more of Raven's sarcasm again.  
  
Every shovel being dug into the dirt to bury the grave was like a stab in his heart, and Robin bled through his tears. Slowly, everyone piled flowers on the freshly dug earth and trickled away until it was only him and Starfire.  
  
Starfire didn't know what to think. She had dreamed forever to be alone with Robin, but this was the wrong situation. She had sometimes wished that there could some time machine, like the one Warp had, and she could travel to the past and get together with Robin before Raven. She had prayed that for the past four years it was some cruel joke that Robin had played on her, but sadly, it wasn't, and it had ended so tragically.  
  
"I'm sorry, Robin," Starfire whispered and placed her hand hesitantly on his shoulder.  
  
He shook it off gently and then said the same words that night Starfire attacked Raven. "It is not to me you must apologize to, Starfire, it's reserved for Raven."  
  
She sighed and looked at the ground. The flowers in her hands were dripping with crystal rain and soon a teardrop slid off a lavender petal.  
  
Robin turned away to leave, but took one more glance at the gravestone. It had an engraved raven, followed by the words:  
  
_Raven Grayson  
Loving wife, mother, and friend  
A True Titan  
December 3rd 1985 – April 14th 2006_  
  
He bent down and kissed the marble stone and walked slowly away. His thoughts seemed lost in the ancient sky; lost with his dear Raven.  
  
"I love you Raven. I'll always be with you."  
  
The next day, Robin brought Rae home. The rest of the Titans had prepared her room in Raven's. The dark decoration was still up, but a crib had replaced the bed.  
  
Robin walked up the stairs without talking to his fellow comrades and headed for the room. He didn't feel like starting any conversations; he wanted to be alone.  
  
Rae awoke and was looking at her surroundings. She had Raven's eyes, but they were lighter with a dash of slate blue. The shakra adorning her forehead was glowing pink as she took comfort in the dark room. _This was so natural..._  
  
Robin placed her down in the crib and smiled. He felt a sudden urge to pour out all of his heart's emotions to this little child, to his daughter.  
  
"So, Rae, this is your room. It used to your mommy's as you can tell by how dismal it seems," he chuckled quietly. Then he sighed. "Sometimes, I wish daddy could have died instead of her. You know, she really wanted to see you, to hold you. She wanted me to be the father she never had, and her to be the mother she hardly knew. More importantly, she wanted us to be the family that she could only dream of."  
  
His tears were flowing now, and a drop landed on Rae's quizzical face, causing her to flinch.  
  
Robin wiped the tears away and brought out a picture of Raven, who was illuminated by the Hawaiian sunset. "You want to see of picture of her?"  
  
He placed the portrait next to Rae and she turned to look into a mirror version of herself. Raven stared back, a smile playing in her beautiful face.  
  
"She was really pretty, you know. And so are you..."  
  
Rae continued to stare at awe into the face of her mother, a mother she would never have.  
  
Starfire leaned against the door outside Rae's room. If she had felt pain in the past years, this couldn't compare.  
  
Suddenly, memories erupted in her mind, memories of her and Raven when they were younger. The time they switched minds...meditation with Raven...mall shopping with a reluctant Raven...times when Starfire turned to her for help...how Raven had accidentally set monsters on the team after watching "Wicked Evil." Recollections flooded with tears and she felt so guilty. _I am so sorry Raven.  
_  
She peeked into the room and watched Robin as he stared sorrowfully over Rae.  
  
_ I will make it up to, Raven, I promise..._

* * *

Believe me...I'm crying...so...hard...now....  
  
Next Chapter: Slade wants to get his hands on Rae...  
  
Yay! Cartoon Network has the descriptions of the new Teen Titans Season 3 episodes! Awesome! Oh yea, and review please!


	9. Slade's Plan

Disclaimer: The only character I own is Rae. So, rawr!  
  
I was planning on making Rae's birthday the 10th of April, my birthday. But...eh, I won't be selfish. I'll reserve that date for later...  
  
**For the last time...**I would not let Raven disappear off the face of this story trio forever!  
  
**Chapter 9**  
  
Starfire quickly wiped away her tears when she saw Robin heading for the door. She backed up into the hallway to look like she was just passing through.  
  
"Oh hi Robin," she said, pretending to be startled, as he walked out.  
  
Robin looked up and tried to dry his face of tears. "Starfire, hi."  
  
"Um, may I see her? May I see Rae?"  
  
"Sure thing. She's asleep though." He opened the door again and both of them went into the room. This was the first time in a long while since Starfire had been in Raven's room. Everything remained the same except for the presence of Rae.  
  
"She is so beautiful. She looks so much like...like Raven," the Tamaranian said in a hushed voice.  
  
"That's where I got the name."  
  
The two continued to stare at the sleeping figure before Starfire broke the silence with a whisper.  
  
"I-I have apologized to Raven."  
  
Robin looked up. "You did? Well...I—"  
  
"But would she forgive me?" Starfire quickly added, drawing circles with her foot in the lush carpet.  
  
"I'm sure Raven would understand." He paused and grew slightly pensive. "I must ask though, why did it take—"  
  
"So long?" Starfire was now making little designs of doves into the midnight blue carpet. "Well, to tell you the truth, I did not want to accept it. I denied the fact for so long, if felt so different to live without denial. It was as if...as if it took control."  
  
Robin turned his gaze and found a pair of glimmering jade eyes staring back. "And that day you attacked Raven? It took complete control?"  
  
Starfire looked back down at her carpet designs. "You still remember." _Well, of course he still remembers._ "I was knocked unconscious by Jinx's curse, so, I guess my heart...took over my mind." She felt ashamed at those words. "Did Raven hate me?"  
  
Robin didn't reply directly. "Did you hate Raven?"  
  
She looked slowly around the room, taking in the scene she once knew so well. Starfire didn't wish to hurt Robin with her answer, but maybe it was time to stop hiding everything.  
  
"To tell you the truth would be painful, especially now."  
  
The other titan sighed. "Would it? I've felt so much pain in the past few days."  
  
"It would be unwise to add to that burden."  
  
Robin leaned his elbows on the side of the crib, staring into Rae's peaceful figure. "Did you?"  
  
Starfire closed her eyes tightly. _He's too stubborn, even for his own good_. "I was jealous of Raven. It was jealousy mixed with many other emotions, like anger, sadness, confusion, hurt, and...and hate." She whispered the last word so softly Robin almost didn't hear it.  
  
"You told the truth, Starfire, that's all that matters." Robin's voice had been monotone throughout the conversation, much like Raven's. He bent down and kissed Rae's tiny forehead and turned to leave. Before he reached the door, Robin spotted Raven's mirror. It was black and dull now. He sighed and fought back tears.  
  
Once outside the hallway, the alarm suddenly went off. The two titans rushed to the living room to see Slade's masked face on the screen.  
  
"Slade," Robin growled.  
  
"He's been spotted downtown again," spoke Cyborg.  
  
Everyone turned around to wait for Robin's command. He shook his head and placed a gloved hand on the half-robot's shoulder.  
  
"Cy, you take control today. I-I have to stay with Rae."  
  
Cyborg nodded. It was pointless to argue. Everyone knew how much Robin wanted to go chase down Slade, but his current priority took over.  
  
"Alright," said the robotic titan, "Titans, GO!"  
  
The titans ran out the door, and Starfire stopped to take one last look at Robin, who was staring at the picture of Slade with anger and sadness. This was hard on him, because he life goal had once been to catch Slade to really find the mystery behind the black and orange mask. The Tamaranian sighed and joined the rest of the group.  
  
They found a path of destruction downtown and followed it to where Slade and his robots were waiting outside a museum.  
  
"Ah, the Teen Titans. You have finally arrived." Slade's voice echoed throughout the marble entrance. "And where is Robin?"  
  
"Teen Titans, Go!" Called Cyborg and he leapt at the nearest robot. The rest did the same but Starfire went after Slade. He dodged her star bolts and burst out in a menacing laugh.  
  
"I heard he married that whore of a witch and she died. Good riddance!"  
  
Starfire screamed in anger. Everything inside her erupted and the rage broke loose. Her voice changed into a deep and evil sound. "Do not speak about Raven that way!" The star bolts grew pure white and her eyes flashed with blazing fire.  
  
Slade jumped to the rooftop and Starfire followed, eyes full of pure hatred. She rained star bolts on the roof like deadly hail.  
  
The masked evil-man blocked them with a steel rod and continued to speak calmly, "And didn't she give birth to yet another demon?"  
  
"RAAAAWWR!" Starfire kicks him and Slade stumbles. He gets back up and readjusts his mask.  
  
"Disgusting, I say."  
  
"SHUT UP!" Starfire's hair now resembled fire and the odd black symbols appeared again on her skin. A huge ball of white fury erupted from her hands and sped towards Slade with lightning speed. He rolled away into the smoke, still laughing and making Starfire even more furious.  
  
"SLADE! YOU DIE TODAY!" She flies over to kick the outline of Slade, but he grabs her arm and yanks her to the hard cement.  
  
"I will get my hands on that child of her's and will unleash unimaginable power." With that, he stepped back into the swirling smoke and disappeared.  
  
"SLADE COME BACK HERE YOU COWARD!" Starfire gets up and flies above the smoke, but Slade was gone. She lands on the sidewalk and returns to normal except the shaking of fury was still enveloping her.  
  
"Starfire! Are you okay?" Terra ran up and took off her goggles. "What happened?"  
  
"_Slade_," answered Starfire through clenched teeth. Her voice emphasized the name with pure venom.  
  
"Did you kick his butt-behinds?"  
  
"_No... he got away."_  
  
Cyborg and Beast Boy arrived at her side, looking around.  
  
"So...that's all? A few robots, that's all?" The green titan scratched his head confusingly. "Where's Slade?"  
  
"_He got away, but he's after Rae now_."  
  
Terra gasped. "Maybe this was a decoy to lure us away from Rae!" She flew up on a rock and headed towards the tower. Starfire and Beast Boy followed while Cyborg ran to his T-car.  
  
They arrived at the tower and ran inside hurriedly.  
  
"Where is he? Where's Slade?" yelled the half-robot, readying his sonic cannon.  
  
Robin came out of the living room with a very annoyed look plastered on his face. "What are you guys up to? Rae's sleeping!"  
  
The rest widened their eyes with surprise.  
  
"You mean—"  
  
"Slade's—"  
  
"Not—"  
  
"Attacking?"  
  
"What!?" Robin stared at the four with a quizzical face. "Of course he's not attacking. What's going on?"  
  
Starfire stepped forward and delivered Slade's message. "Slade wants to get his hands on Rae's powers."  
  
"We thought his appearance downtown was a decoy to lure us away from the tower," said Cyborg, putting away his cannon.  
  
"And he was actually heading for the tower," finished Terra.  
  
"So...he's not here?" Beast Boy looked around.  
  
Robin frowned. "You think?"  
  
"Uh...no?" The green titan blushed and glared at Terra, who glared right back.  
  
Robin walked back into the living room, closely followed by the rest. "So this means I won't be able to fight anymore," he said quietly.  
  
"What?" gasped Starfire, "Why?"  
  
"Rae shouldn't be left alone, not with Slade searching for her."  
  
"And who said you could hog the baby?" Cyborg crossed his arms, eyebrows raised.  
  
"Yea! We'll all take turns watching it...I mean, her!" Beast Boy smiled apolitically after a glance from his girlfriend.  
  
"Besides," Terra placed her hand on Robin's shoulder, "What are family for?"  
  
Robin smiled the first smile the rest of the titans had seen since the day of Raven's untimely death. "Thanks guys."  
  
Meanwhile, in his secret headquarters, Slade watched a tape over and over again of Rae in the hospital, sleepy but curious of her surroundings. And for a split second, her eyes glowed pure white.  
  
"I will get that child. Then, I will unleash Trigon and destroy the Titans forever!"

* * *

Next Chapter: Slade comes for Rae.  
  
Review and I will love you like my computer itself. 


	10. Rae's Powers Come to Life

Disclaimer: I would find a four-leaf clover before I own the Titans. And I haven't, so I don't. I do, however, own Rae.  
  
As for Trigon destroying Slade when he's unleashed, doesn't Slade always have a way for everything? Kind of reminds me of a souped up version of my sister...  
  
As for Raven coming back, everything's been outlined. I always outline the whole story before I begin typing. Thanks for the suggestions!  
  
**Chapter 10**  
  
A year passed and Slade never re-surfaced. Rae was now a year old and was about as active as ever. Since she was more human than Raven, mild emotions could be expressed without explosions to harmonize them. She'd run, or try to, with her black hair flowing silently behind her and with a jerk, would fall down with its owner. But, instead of crying, Rae would simply frown and get back up, flashing her light indigo eyes.  
  
It was morning, and the BB-Cy breakfast team was arguing on what was better for Rae: tofu or real meat.  
  
"You need real protein to grow strong!"  
  
"Why kill an animal when you can get the same thing from tofu?"  
  
"You eat a cow, you get the cow's strength!"  
  
"You eat tofu, and you get the sun's strength!"  
  
"You—what?"  
  
"Tofu comes from soy," said Terra. She was sitting on the breakfast bar sipping coffee while flipping through the daily newspaper. An ad for a sale caught her eye and she tuned out the two bickering titans.  
  
"Right...but the cow eats the grass, and the grass has the sun's energy!"  
  
"But it's been processed inside the cow to mush and the fiber has been pooped out! Tofu's better!"  
  
"It looks like lard!"  
  
"You do too!"  
  
"Why you..." Cyborg's forehead vein started to pulse and his face turned scarlet.  
  
"Wow, never seen red lard before."  
  
"You guys, calm down." Robin walked in and placed Rae in a chair. Somehow, she had always refused high chairs. "Why don't you just let Rae choose?"  
  
"Good idea!" Cy shoved some eggs and bacon on her plate. "Try Uncle Cyborg's meat!" _Wait..._ "I mean, the meat Uncle Cy _cooked_."  
  
Beast Boy snickered. "Here Rae! Tofu's better for you! And so is soy milk!"  
  
"Is not!"  
  
"Is too!"  
  
Rae started laughing, quietly at first, and then it became loud. Suddenly, the plate of food in front of her blew up and splattered them all.  
  
"Ummm..." Cyborg let go of BB's neck and a piece of wet tofu slid down his face. "_Ewuh_?"  
  
Terra picked up her soggy newspaper and stared at it with disbelief. "Aw man! Now the comic section is covered with soy milk!"  
  
Rae stifled a giggle and looked at them with stern eyes, as if to say, "That's what you get for arguing again." That look was almost too...Raven-like.  
  
Starfire walked in right then and stood at the door gaping. A piece of tofu fell in her hair, causing a blood-curdling scream to echo throughout the room.  
  
Before Robin could say anything, the alarm went off and the titans rushed to the screen where the image of a jailbreak popped on.  
  
"This is pretty serious," said Robin, looking at the crazed criminals running around like rabid animals.  
  
"They kind of remind me of Cyborg when someone scratches his T-car," wondered BB out loud.  
  
"Nah," disagreed the half-robot, "That's more of when Beast Boy loses his head."  
  
"Not like he has one to start with," whispers Terra. Beast Boy raised an eyebrow and glared.  
  
"Right. Well, we better stop them before they destroy the city with their mad antics." Robin turned to Starfire and added, "So, you'll stay here with Rae?"  
  
"Sure! I can not wait to make some of my pudding for her!"  
  
Robin cringed. "Uh Star, maybe...she'll pass for today."  
  
"Oh, that is al right. We are out of fish paste anyhow..."  
  
Beast Boy twitched and slowly turned around. "F-f-f-f-f-f-fish p-p-p- paste?"  
  
Before another weird conversation could hatch, Robin cleared his throat. "Well, Titans, let's go!"  
  
Starfire watched them go. "What's wrong with fish paste?"  
  
Rae walked over to the wall of windows and sat down. She peered onto the shore and watched the rest of the titans depart on Terra's floating rocks. After a while, she spoke.  
  
"Sta-fy?" Rae turned around and pointed towards the ocean, "Big wata."  
  
Starfire floated over to her and giggled. Whenever Rae said her name, it made her insides turn to jelly. "That is an ocean, Rae."  
  
"Oshan?" The toddler repeated and looked back down. "Puh-shun on oshan."  
  
"_Puh-shun_? What does that—"Starfire looked where Rae was gazing curiously and gasped. "It is Slade!"  
  
She grabbed Rae and made a dash for the door. Right before she made it, the windows behind her cracked open, sending shards of sharp glass flying everywhere. Starfire whipped around and found Slade standing on the platform in front of the broken glass. He slowly walked forward, his boots cracking the sharp pieces like ice.  
  
"Give me the child," he commanded, extending his hand.  
  
"No!" Starfire placed Rae by her feet. If she carried her, she wouldn't be able to protect Rae. "Do not come any closer, Slade!"  
  
"Give me that demon child." The masked man strode closer and closer. "I will be sure she'll not feel a thing." He clenched his fist tightly, emitting a crunching sound.  
  
Green star bolts erupted from Starfire as she fired them at Slade, who blocked them all with his staff. "I'm asking one more time. Give me the child."  
  
Starfire's eyes flashed with fire. She raised her arms up, preparing to send out the white blinding bolts once more. "And I am demanding that you do not come any closer!"  
  
Slade stopped and his eyes narrowed. "I see. It seems we have to do this the hard way." He suddenly leapt up and aimed a ferocious kick at Starfire, who flew up at the last second.  
  
Starfire turned around in the air and fired her bolts as accurate as possible. "Rae!" She screamed, "Get out of here!"  
  
The little girl, however, didn't move. She was glaring at Slade as if she knew who he was. Slade spotted Rae and made a lunge for her, but was blasted aside by a star bolt.  
  
"Rae! Run away now!"  
  
The little girl still wouldn't budge, but her focus on Slade was intensifying. Slowly, Rae floated from the ground. At first, Slade didn't notice, so concentrated was the battle between him and Starfire. The Tamaranian dived towards Slade, ready to put him out cold once and for all, but the evil man was too quick. With blinding speed, he grabbed her arm and threw her down like he did before on the museum rooftop. Grinning wickedly, Slade turned around to grab Rae, and was semi-surprised to see her floating a few feet off the ground.  
  
"Why, little girl, you have finally proved to me you have the same powers as your worthless mother!" He seized Rae and headed for the broken windows. Starfire opened her eyes and ran towards the two, but Rae was quicker.  
  
Sensing the hatred and evil in the man, her indigo eyes grew red. Suddenly, a blast of black power shot out from them with deadly accuracy towards Slade's head. The man was blown out the window before he could react, and Rae flew out of his metal grasp.  
  
Meanwhile, the rest of the titans were returning from the jailbreak, or what they thought was one. When they reached the site, there were no screaming criminals running around like beheaded chickens. Everything was fine, and with an icy jolt, they suddenly realized this was an actual decoy, a decoy to lure them away from Rae.  
  
"I should have known!" Robin was beside himself with frustration. "That video was the same one when Cinderblock broke down the jail a few years ago. Why didn't we recognize it!?" He suddenly gasped and stared at the tower.  
  
The top windows were shattered, and there was a falling body being blasted out with black power. A glint of orange metal reflected off the man and they realized it was Slade.  
  
Terra urged her rocks to go faster and they arrived in the living room moments later. Cyborg went down to check on Slade. He couldn't find him, so went back to the main commotion. Robin ran over to Rae, who was sitting amongst the broken glass, wearing a satisfied visage.  
  
"Rae! Are you hurt? Where's Starfire?" He scooped up the child in his arms with the most concerned face. "What happened?"  
  
"Slade..." Starfire had emerged from the rubble and was limping. Terra quickly went over to help her. "Slade came for Rae, and we fought. He threw me down on the ground and went for Rae, but she blasted him out the windows with—"She paused as comprehension took over and continued with a quiet and awed voice, "With the same power as Raven's."  
  
Everyone looked in awe at Rae, who was sleeping peacefully in Robin's arms.  
  
"Well, you're more like your mother than ever now."

Robin stared at the delicate face and sighed inwardly. _And how I miss you Raven. _

* * *

Okay...I just had a dream that Robin proposed to Starfire in Chinese/Japanese, and BB proposed to Raven after she started to cry. (And I was Raven) And not to mention all this took place in a daycare...(Sigh) _My head is so screwed up.  
_  
Anyways...I love you all for the reviews! (Hugs everyone tightly)  
  
Next Chapter: Nine years later. And Rae discovers a way into Raven's mirror. 


	11. Inside Raven's Mirror

Disclaimer: I do not own Robin/Nightwing/Richard, Starfire, Terra, Beast Boy, Cyborg, Raven, or Slade. Now do the process of elimination and figure out which single character I do own.  
  
**For a picture of Rae:** Go to my profile and click on the link to see a picture of Rae I drew. (Copyright Jncera aka ME!) The picture is so, well, you can picture her better in your head.

P.S She's 10 years old in that one...

P.S.S My first attempt at a decent person... .

**F.Y.I...Ages:**

Rae: 10; Robin, Starfire, (and Raven): 31; Beast Boy and Terra: 30; Cyborg: 32  
  
Thanks **XxNirvanaChickxX** for help on BB's present. You rock!  
  
**Chapter 11**  
  
Nine years slowly passed. For the past few years, each titan, including Rae, learned to slowly cope with Raven's sorrowful departure.  
  
Even though Raven never did laugh once at his jokes, or tasted his tofu, or played video games with him, Beast Boy still missed her terribly. After all, she was part of the team and part of the family. He'd walk pass her room, and remember how he and Cyborg, well only Cyborg, knocked down her door. They stepped in awaiting the blast of fury, but in the end, wound up in Raven's mind. It was only then did he fully understand her.  
  
Cyborg himself would sometimes sit in the garage after polishing his T-car for the umpteenth time and let his mind wander to when he and Raven built the car together after the first version was wrecked. He remembered it was then that Raven flashed her rare, genuine smile during her mid-teen years. It occurred to him that the only other person who understood his car was Raven herself. How he missed her...  
  
Starfire would sometimes get stressed out and tried to meditate, like Raven, but it was no use. Without the dark titan next to her chanting, she couldn't find her focus, or ease her mind. She missed her sarcasm during the mall trips and the way she'd cringe at the bright colors. She missed the times when Raven actually bought something other than black, blue, or purple. And then, it hit her: she never did hate Raven; she just envied the wonderful she had. And now, she missed her best friend.  
  
Terra gazed out the window and sighed. She re-played the day when she and Raven learned to trust each other in her mind. They had both worked together to save the tower from being one with the Titanic. From that day on, they became great friends and would talk about how silly Beast Boy was. Those days of jokes were long ago now, but the thoughts would still come back to bring some tears.  
  
Even though he chose not to show much sorrow around Rae, Robin's heart was the slowest to mend. One night, he was shifting through his bookshelf and came across a photo album, full of him and Raven. With much pain, he looked into the happy faces of the two in Hawaii, during holidays and the wedding, and of their honeymoon. He set the album down and let the memories wash over him, accompanied by tears. Drying his eyes, he looked up the ring in his finger and read the inscription: _Raven and Robin Forever._ And for forever will he love his dear sweet Raven.  
  
The day before Slade's attack was the day of Rae's first birthday. It was bittersweet, as it was also the date of Raven's death. They had celebrated the birthday first, and then went to visit Raven. Robin had knelt down before the gravestone and placed Rae down. She had stared curiously at the marble, and then with a delicate finger, stroked the carved raven. Even though she knew nothing of whom this person was, Rae could sense it was someone important and near. Years later when she did finally understand, Rae would gaze mournfully at the stone, and wonder why, out of all people, her mother was the one to be taken away. At night, Rae would stare into the picture of Raven, the same picture that Robin had given her when she was a baby. Those violet eyes would just stare back and the soft smile would tug at her heart.  
  
Today, the bittersweet moments would begin once again. Today was Rae's tenth birthday.  
  
"Hey come back here Rae! I'm not as young as I used to be!" Cyborg careened around a corner and ran into Terra, who was helping him catch a giggling Rae. Behind him, Beast Boy ran face first into his metal back, yelping in pain and surprise.  
  
"Yow! _Cyborg_!" The blond grabbed her foot and hopped madly around. "You're not going to catch her if she can hear you before she can even see you!"  
  
"And do you come with some break lights?" Beast Boy straightened his mouth and neck with a slight crunch.  
  
"So Terra, what do _you suppose_ we do? I kinda _have_ to get that new video game back!"  
  
Terra lowered her voice into a whisper. The other two titans leaned in to hear her. "The silent tactic. Someone will chase her, and when she rounds the corner where the other two are waiting, we—"  
  
"Hi friends!"  
  
Beast Boy screamed and leapt into Terra's arms, who fell into Cyborg from the added weight. Starfire stopped in mid-wave and frowned curiously.  
  
"And what are you three doing? We must be planning for Rae's party!"  
  
"If you really want to know." The half-robot shoved Terra off him and stood up. "We're trying to catch Rae. She somehow snatched a new video game from my room, and unknown to her it's supposed to be her—_oomph_!" Cyborg teetered forward from a push and was stopped by Beast Boy before he could turn Starfire into an omelet.  
  
Rae laughed mildly and floated away again, her ebony hair and dark purple cloak flowing behind her like the breeze. She waved the video game and disappeared behind a corner. "You guys are so quiet that I have no clue what you're all planning."  
  
"Rae! Gimme back that video game!" Cyborg stumbled and ran after the girl, followed by Terra, Beast Boy and Starfire.  
  
The young girl sniggered and backed into a darkened room. As she heard the four titans round the corner, she jumped out and yelled, "Boo!"  
  
Beast Boy and Starfire screamed and Cyborg made a leap for the video game. Rae backed up and the half-robot found himself enveloped in a black orb.  
  
"Yo! This ain't fair!" He started pounding on the dark walls.  
  
Rae giggled, her light indigo eyes flashing with a joker's tint. "Not until you tell me what this is for." She held up the game, still packaged in plastic.  
  
"If you let them finish planning your party, you might actually find out." Robin walked out from the living room door and smiled.  
  
Rae gasped a little in surprise and the black orb holding Cyborg vanished. The robotic titan fell to the ground with a loud thud.  
  
"Gee Rob, nice timing." Cyborg got up and dusted himself.  
  
"Daddy!" Rae ran over to Robin and hugged him.  
  
He stroked his daughter's hair and plucked the package from her small hands. "Now, why don't you give this back to Cy and head for the living room?" He handed the video game back to Cyborg, who headed back to his room. The rest walked over to the living area.  
  
There were holographic streamers hanging from the ceiling and dark purple balloons lining the walls. On the dining table sat a huge cake that Cyborg and Starfire, who is better at cooking now, baked. Ten dark blue candles bordered the top layer which had "Happy 10th Birthday, Rae!" in shiny purple icing.  
  
"Ooo, finally there isn't any pink or neon green. I was wondering when you'd catch up."  
  
Robin chuckled and sat Rae down in front of the cake. Cyborg came back with a wrapped gift and lighted the candles. Since the girl despised the birthday song like evil itself, they went straight to the candle blowing and wish making.  
  
Rae stared at the bright mesmerizing orbs and closed her eyes. She prayed for the same thing she had wished for during all her other birthdays: I wish for Mommy to come back. I wish she were still alive. Rae paused for a few seconds as she concentrated on Raven's face, imagining hugging her. Opening her eyes at last, she blew out all the candles in one breath.  
  
The cake was scrumptious. It had chocolate and vanilla and the cream tasted like Oreo cookies. In between the layers was a level of mint frosting, insisted by Starfire. It was either that or mustard.  
  
After the cake, it was time to open presents. Beast Boy gave her a collection of horror books and Starfire had given the girl a hoard of stuffed animals, ranging from wolves to birds. Terra had given Rae the new CD of their favorite band. The video game Rae took from Cyborg was actually her present, and she couldn't wait to play it. Even though she loved all the gifts, her favorite was the one her father gave her.  
  
It was a silver heart locket with an etching of Raven's symbol on the front: a black raven with its wings widespread. A single ruby was embedded as the bird's eye. Inside, one heart held a picture of Raven while the other was a spiral strand of her lavender hair.  
  
Rae silently gasped. "Daddy, I-I...thank you."  
  
Robin grinned and placed the necklace around her neck. "The locket used to be your mother's."  
  
Rae gazed silently as the heart. She was lost for words and couldn't tell her father how wonderful this gift was. She felt even closer to her mother now.  
  
Robin cleared his throat and Rae snapped her gaze away from the necklace. "I have an announcement to make. After much deliberation for what is best for Rae, I have decided to move into the city with her."  
  
The other titans gasped, with Rae as the loudest. A nearby slice of cake blew up. "Why?"  
  
Robin bent down on one knee and tried to put it as simple as possible. The truth was, he didn't want Slade to get his filthy hands on Rae again, and wanted to start out a new anonymous and safe life in the city. "Well Rae, this is a bit hard to say. You are in danger from a bad guy, and if we move to the city, he won't find you."  
  
"But you will all protect me. And I can protect myself. I'm not a baby anymore."  
  
Her father stood up and gazed out the window into the cloudy sky. A tiny wisp of blue was suddenly visible, but disappeared. Robin sighed. "I made a promise to Raven to protect you, Rae. I can't break that promise."  
  
"But you won't! Everyone can look after me here, but in the city, it'll just be just you!"  
  
"In the city, it's less obvious where we live and who we are."  
  
"But if this bad guy finds out, it wouldn't be too obvious."  
  
"If we change our names, he won't."  
  
"I like my name!"  
  
"Well, I'm sorry, but if you want to be safe, we have no choice!"  
  
"We do, and it's to stay here! I like it here! Mother would want me to stay here!"  
  
"And it's not right to raise a kid in violence!"  
  
Rae scoffed. "It's not like I'm fighting."  
  
It was obvious that father and daughter were both equally stubborn and determined. And it was this determination that caused Robin to finally lose some patience and the volume of his voice rose sharply to a shout.  
  
"Rae Grayson, listen here. We will move! I am your father and I know what's best for you!" He glared at her with a commanding and stern look.  
  
Tears appeared in Rae's light indigo eyes. "No you don't! I wish you died instead of Mommy!"  
  
Robin was startled, but yelled back, "Oh yea! I wish I did! That way I wouldn't have to put up with a brat like you!"  
  
The little girl stared at her angry father with teary eyes and ran out sobbing and popping light bulbs along the path to her room. After a while, the distant slamming of her door echoed through the tower.  
  
Shocked by what he had just said, Robin just stood there dumbfounded and frustrated. He debated on whether or not to follow Rae, but with a huff, headed for his own room.  
  
The rest of the titans stood there in silence, not knowing what to do. They looked at each other and went their way to clean up the wrappings and crumbs of cake. Those two needed their time alone.  
  
Rae entered her dark room and without turning on the lights, slammed her tiny body down on her bed and wailed. Things around her room enveloped in black energy and exploded. After a few minutes, she dried her eyes with her sleeve and headed for the window. It was windy outside as a storm was brewing. Thinking the freezing air would calm her, she threw open the window and stared out into the ancient churning sea. Rae kneeled down on a chair and propped her elbows on the inner ledge, sighing and hiccupping now and then. She took out the locket and stared at the upside down picture of Raven and more tears fell.  
  
"I wish I could talk to you, Mommy." Rae closed the locket and stared out the window. A black feather floating in the air caught her eye and she watched it perform aerobatic moves in the air. Without warning, a gust of wind blew into her face, and the feather was caught with the breeze. Rae stepped off the chair and followed the feather's path into her room. It finally landed on the top level of a bookshelf that Rae never touched. Curious, she grabbed the chair by the window and set it beside the shelf. Getting on, she reached for where the feather was, but instead felt something hard with thick swirling designs. It seemed to be a handle. She lifted it and was surprised at how heavy it was. The girl turned on the light and gaped at the item she held.  
  
It was a blackened mirror twice the size of her little palm with a silver border. This item was no doubt, her mother's. Most of the objects in her room were. A huge scarlet jewel crowned the mirror and a smaller one was at the base. If you ignored the two horns sticking out on the top and bottom, it would have been a lovely treasure. Rae headed for her bed and sat down. She peered over to see her face, and the mirror suddenly turned reflective. Rae gasped and dropped it onto her bed, but a swirling vortex suddenly grabbed her and sucked her in unmercifully. She screamed to no avail, and soon her body hit solid stone. Rae stood up slowly and gazed at her new surrounding with amazement.  
  
The sky was all black with tiny red stars, and the rock she stood on was soon joined by others to form a large flat island. Everything was silent. Fearful as to what would happen to her, Rae headed curiously towards a large stone arch that contained thick swirling silver mist. Maybe that's the way out  
  
Suddenly, a voice came out from the fog in the arch. It seemed to echo inwardly, and wasn't too clear. Rae almost thought she imagined it.  
  
"Rae..." There it was again. She was defiantly not imagining things. It was a soft female voice, and a little to the monotone side. I think this place drives people mad when they enter. What was it doing in my mom's possession?  
  
Boldly, the girl stepped closer to the arch. Dark shadows were forming a figure in the center of the haze. When they stopped, the misty outline of a cloaked woman came to view.  
  
Rae squinted towards the shadow. It didn't seem it could come any further. "Who's there?"  
  
"Rae, I've been waiting for so long for you." The voice paused. "I am your mother."

* * *

(Gasp)  
  
Next Chapter: Rae talks to the "shadow/memory" of Raven.  
  
Review and I will love you like fudge cookies with milk. (Now I'm hungry...) 


	12. Inside Raven's Mirror II

Disclaimer: I only own the character, Rae.  
  
Writer's block! Ahhh! (Runs around like a beheaded chicken)  
  
**NOTE:** Chapter 5 (Traitor!)(When Starfire attacks Raven) has been edited. The fight scene has more details now, but nothing new.  
  
**Chapter 12**  
  
Rae didn't know how to react. She wanted to scream, cry, gape, and run towards the mist all at the same time. _Was this all a dream? _She pinched herself and jerked at the pain.   
  
"You're really...my...mother?"  
  
"Yes Rae. I am truly your mother."  
  
Even though she was hearing her voice for the first time, Rae somehow recognized it in her heart. A grin grew on Rae's face, and suddenly broke out into a huge smile. "Mom!"  
  
The girl ran towards the figure, arms outstretched, ready to bury her face into the softness of her mom and release all her tears. However, when she reached into the haze, she hit an invisible force field and the mist scattered. Rae backed away startled and watched the fog reform the dark cloaked figure.  
  
"Mom? Why can't I touch you? Why...why can't I see you?"  
  
Raven spoke, her voice sad and distant. "Because this really isn't me. This is a memory of myself, a mere shadow, preserved in my mind."  
  
Rae sat down on the cold ground and crossed her legs. "Your mind?"  
  
"That mirror you found was a portal into my mind I used for meditation. When I died, the portal closed. You could only open it, as you are my daughter, and you alone can see or hear me."  
  
Rae almost had to strain to hear the words clearly. Her head was swimming with questions. The thought of that single second when she actually thought she'd finally meet her mother was piling with frustration, and tears started roll down her cheeks. Raven sensed her sorrow.  
  
"Don't cry, my dear Rae. I will someday return to you."  
  
The girl wiped away the water on her cheeks. "You will? How do you know?"  
  
"I know because of where I am. This isn't heaven, or hell. My memory has been preserved for some reason."  
  
"But how will you return? And when?" Rae's voice was very hopeful. Birthday wishes really do come true, it seemed.  
  
"When I came here; when I died, it was said that I would return '_When love conquers evil and it is destroyed from inside_.'"  
  
Rae shook her head. "That makes about as much sense as how BB can enjoy tofu."  
  
Raven laughed softly. The soothing sound reminded Rae of a peaceful snow covered forest. It also re-enforced the yearning to be closer to her mother and she began to cry again.  
  
"I miss you mother, I really do." If Raven weren't made of memories and mist, her heart would surely be breaking.  
  
"I miss you too, Rae, but remember that I will always remain in your heart."  
  
"Daddy really misses you too."  
  
Raven paused to contain her emotions. Even as a shadow, too must expression could destroy this portal of communication forever.  
  
"How...how is Richard?"  
  
Rae sniffed. "Daddy? He wants to move us two to the city. I don't see why we need to leave. I like where I live." She crossed her arms.  
  
Raven grew pensive. "Your father knows what's best for you. He must have his true reasons, Rae."  
  
"Oh yea. His true reason is to destroy my life." Rae rolled her eyes.  
  
"Now, why don't you talk to him? I'm sure he'll understand."  
  
"He never understands." Rae looked away.  
  
Raven's cloak slightly billowed in an imaginary breeze and she sat down on her knees. "Tell me more about yourself, Rae."  
  
"I will if you tell me about yourself afterwards, mother." Rae smiled through her dry tears. It felt so good to say that word.  
  
"Alright. Oh by the way, happy birthday, daughter."  
  
Rae and her mother spent the rest of the late-afternoon talking to each other. It was a like dream come true for Rae. If only she could be doing this while sitting next to her, snuggled deep into Raven's arms. Rae longed to look into the loving smile of her mother and stare into those violet eyes, but before she knew it, it was time to return to reality.  
  
"I love you mom." Rae blew the shadow a kiss and walked to the exit portal with one last look at the swirling mist. "I'll come back as soon as I can."  
  
There was a swirl of black and red, and Rae flopped back down on her bed. It was already dark, so she curled up with the picture of Raven and stared into her face that now was added with a voice. She started to daydream about sitting in front of the fireplace in her mom's lap during Christmas, roasting marshmallows over the flame. Or staying up late at night swapping ghost stories and finding ways to scare Robin or prank Cyborg. Rae sighed. I_ miss you Mom. Hopefully, my dreams will come true someday.  
_  
Robin sat at his desk, his face in his hands. What did he just do? He felt like he just failed as a father. He lowered his hands and his eyes caught a picture of Raven in the corner. Robin held the frame and stared into the face of his beloved.  
  
"What should I do Raven? Should I listen to Rae's safety and lower the chances of being found, but raise the risk of not being to defend her; or to what our hearts say and raise the chance of being found but lower the risk of not being to defend her?" Robin slightly chuckled and gently stroked the picture with a gloved hand. "That was long winded, wasn't it?"  
  
Robin placed the picture frame gently down in the middle of his desk and got up. It was already dark. I must have dozed off...He peered at his alarm clock. It was nearly ten PM.  
  
"Rae must already be asleep." He looked once more at the photograph of Raven and sighed. "But I'll go talk to her."  
  
When Robin reached the door, he turned around once again. "Raven, you always win." Smiling slightly, he walked into the hallway.  
  
Rae had fallen asleep when Robin entered her room. With a tug of his heart, he noticed that she held the same picture of Raven that he had given her on her first day here. It was bent in some places but her face was kept clean of any scratches.  
  
Robin sat down on the side of the bed, staring at Rae's peaceful sleeping figure, still clad in her normal day wear: black shorts and a tank top with an indigo cloak, similar to Raven's but smaller. He didn't want to wake her up, but talked anyways, looking around the blackened room.

"I know you probably can't hear me, but daddy's sorry." He paused. "I'm...sorry about that argument. I'm sorry I called you a brat. You know I didn't mean that. You really are a wonderful girl that reminds me so much of.... Raven and...myself."  
  
He stopped and looked around the room. Not much had changed. There were smaller books on the lower shelves of the bookshelf while most of Raven's huge novels were piled in the top layers, awaiting their new owners to become more advanced. Stuffed animals had conquered one corner, all sprawled out over their territory. Raven's two-faced drama statue was replaced with a stone raven, eyeing all newcomers into the room. The computer next to the bookshelf was flashing a slide show of pictures for its screensaver. They showed the fun times Rae spent with the titans, such as Christmas, birthdays, days at the mall or the beach, or attempts to cook with Cy and Starfire. Now and then, the slideshow would flash old pictures of Raven, often accompanied by Robin.  
  
He looked back at his daughter. "I've actually reconsidered moving to the city, seeing how much you love it here...and how much I love it here. I guess we just have to raise out guard and protect you like we have for the past ten years." Robin's thoughts traveled back to the argument. "After all, you aren't a baby anymore."  
  
Unknown to Robin, the statue of the raven really does watch for people coming into Rae's room. When he walked in, Rae immediately woke up, but her eyes stayed closed. She wanted him to say whatever he wanted not knowing she could hear every single word. Now, Rae sat up, startling Robin, and smiled.  
  
"Really daddy? We don't have to move to the city after all?"  
  
"You, you heard everything I said?" Robin found it hard to suppress a grin. "You were awake?"  
  
She raised an eyebrow. "Dad, you're forgetting who my mom is."  
  
Robin opened his mouth to say something, but closed it. He reached for Rae and pulled her into a tight hug. "Would I ever?"  
  
"And Dad, I'm sorry too...about saying how, you know." She looked away.  
  
Robin let go. "That's quite alright. We both just lost out temper and brains for that moment. Well, not that you have one to start with Rae." He laughed.  
  
"Hey!" Rae threw a lavender pillow at him but he brought his arms up to shield himself. He turned away and his eye caught the screen of her computer. On it was a picture of him and Raven in Hawaii, watching the sunset. Suddenly, Robin got an idea.  
  
"So Rae," He straightened the pillow case, "I was thinking...since I pretty much ruined your birthday—"  
  
She crossed her arms and pretended to scoff angrily.  
  
"—I was thinking that we take a trip to Hawaii to make things up! Just you and me, like a father...daughter...thing."  
  
Rae turned around with a huge smile plastered on her face. "Really? To Hawaii? You and mommy's favorite place in the whole wide world?"  
  
"Really, Rae, April Fool's day was thirteen days ago."  
  
"Oh daddy! That's awesome!" Rae hugged Robin tightly and a novel blew up and showered them all like confetti. "When do we leave?"  
  
Robin gagged and gently pried her arms off him. "In a few days. I just have to get our room and tickets."  
  
"Thank you daddy!"  
  
Robin got up and smiled. He noticed a slight glimmer and caught sight of Raven's mirror at the foot of Rae's bed.  
  
"Is that..." He picked the object up and stared at the blackened surface. "It's Raven's mirror. Why, I remember it like yesterday how she took me into her mind to meet her emotions."  
  
Rae tried to act confused. She knew that if her father found out she could go in, and that Raven's memory was still alive, it would cause him great pain, as he would not be able to do the same thing. It took all her self-control not to shout out that she had talked to Raven.  
  
Robin sighed and placed the mirror on Rae's nightstand. "This was one of your mom's most treasured possessions. Take good care it..."  
  
Rae nodded and she watched him walk sadly across her room. He turned around and blew her a kiss by the door. "Night Rae."  
  
"Night Daddy."  
  
The door closed and Rae looked over at the mirror. _When love conquers evil...  
_

* * *

Next Chapter: Back to Hawaii! And we meet the bridge to the sequel.  
  
Review please? A mountain of cookies and milkshakes waits. Mmm... 


	13. I love you Daddy

Disclaimer: If I owned the Teen Titans, I wouldn't be typing this disclaimer. I do, however, own Rae and the little boy we will meet at the end.  
  
Sorry about the time it took for the last chapter to get up. Writer's block and seeing how the TV draws you in didn't help. But (takes a big breath of air), my mom gave me Coke accidentally so...it's time to crank those puppies out! (Imitates firing a machine gun)  
  
**Chapter 13  
**  
Starfire watched as Rae looked over magazines about Hawaii. Helping raise Rae was like giving Starfire the piece of her that had been taken away by her jealousy towards Raven. It had been like stepping out of a dark maze and stepping into the light, free from the towering walls. Rae had been the second chance to mend things, a chance to destroy Starfire's sins. It was the closest to making things right for Raven herself.  
  
And then, thought Starfire, there was Robin: the love of her life. No, correction, the love of her past life. She could not continue those puppy-feelings or she would betray Raven. She would betray Robin, Rae, and the rest of the titans. Most importantly, she would betray herself. Robin was now just a friend; a friend that was part of Starfire's interesting and complex past. It was seriously time to move on. _If you keep walking backwards, sooner or later you'll hit a pole_.  
  
Robin and Rae arrived at their hotel in the late afternoon. It was the same hotel that the titans had stayed at before. Rae loved the grand marble entrance hall, but complained it was way too bright.  
  
"Can they shine the marble any more? I can't believe I can still see!"  
  
After putting away their bags, father and daughter went down to the speckled beach. Rae romped a while in the azure water but came out when the spring air lost its formal warmness. She wrapped herself in her sun-warmed purple towel and sat down next to Robin, who was absent-mindedly building a sand castle.  
  
"Tell me again, daddy, how you and mom fell in love?" Rae squeezed some ocean water from her dark hair.  
  
Robin smiled. He remembered it like it was yesterday. "Well, when we were around seventeen—"  
  
Rae giggled and received a "_what_?" look from her father.  
  
"As I was saying...we were both seventeen and the city invited us here as a reward. We stayed in a grand room in this same hotel. Your mom and I both got food poisoning from the plane's chicken, so we were all alone in the room on the first day, and for many days after. Well, Raven was standing on the balcony, and to me, she looked like a goddess. After a while, I joined her, and we talked. We almost kissed there too, if it weren't for Cyborg calling in to check on us. So, then we had lunch, and went to take a nap—in our separate rooms." He quickly paused and looked at Rae, who was indifferent. _Ah, the innocence of little children_.  
  
Robin continued, gazing out to the darkening waters. The sun was dropping lower and lower. "It was then that I realized I liked your mother more than a friend. After our nap, we both felt refreshed, so we came down to this very beach and built a sandcastle. Well, I started and you mom joined in afterwards. And then, as we watched the sunset together, I touched her soft hand..." Robin's voice was slowing down to a dreamy state, "and we kissed... for the first time..."  
  
Rae stifled a giggle and looked at her father. His eyes were glazed over as he stared unblinkingly towards the setting fiery orb. She shook her head slightly and rolled her eyes. _I've lost him_...again!  
  
She focused on the half finished sandcastle and nudged Robin. He immediately jerked, as if being awoken from a deep sleep.  
  
"Huh? Yes Rae?"  
  
"Um daddy," she pointed to the castle at his side, "You want to finish that together?"  
  
Robin smiled. "Sure thing."  
  
As they piled damp sand together, father and daughter watched the sun set. It looked the same as it did nearly thirteen years ago when Robin and Raven had their first kiss. The sky was painted with the same dazzling rainbow, and the sun always did take that last breath before plunging into the sapphire waters. Robin was once again, lost in thought as the serenity of the sea reached his ears. Then, he heard his own voice thirteen years ago.  
  
_"Raven, I have always liked you since the first time you saved me. You fit into my heart like a perfectly carved diamond puzzle piece. As long as the sun continues to set each evening,_ my love for you will never falter_."_

Rae suddenly grew pensive as she remembered the conversation with her mother. "Daddy?"

"Yes Rae?"

"What does 'when love conquers evil' mean excatly?"

Robin wondered what Rae was thinking now. "Well, it depends. It's might mean that a couple's love will defeat whatever evil comes their way."

The girl stared into the colorful sky and thought of her mother and she wished she was here with them. But the most important thing was that her father was with her, and it was all the mattered at the moment.

Rae turned from the colorful sky to her father and smiled. "I love you daddy." She leaned over and hugged him tightly.  
  
Robin grinned with fatherly love and stroked her silky hair, untangling a few knots created by the ocean. "I love you too Rae."  
  
Nearby, a man with his face in shadows stood, watching the father and daughter with glaring eyes.  
  
"I will get that child's powers. And then, Robin, I will destroy your family from the inside out."  
  
A little boy a year older than Rae stood at the man's side, staring at Rae with awed eyes.  
  
"What a pretty girl." He turned to the man. "Is she an angel?"  
  
"No, she is a demon." Slade turned around and chuckled, his splintery laugh full of evil. "Come, my son, we need to train."  
  
The boy took a last look at Rae, her hair slightly curled from the water, indigo eyes glittering at Robin, and turned to follow his father into the shadows once more.

**The End?**

* * *

The next chapter would be a sneak peek into the sequel: Raven's Daughter II: When Love Conquers Evil (Title might change if there's something better out there...open for suggestions!)  
  
I want to thank all the reviews I have gotten on this story. I truly love you all. (Sniff) 


	14. Author Notes, Sneak Peeks

**Chapter 14- Author's Notes/ Sneak Peeks  
**  
(Frantic voice) I don't like the idea of having 13 chapters in my story...so here's a last one. (End voice)  
  
**Title:** Raven's Daughter II: When Love is in Shadow (Thanks **Whispering Romance** for the suggestion)  
  
(Any more suggestions for titles will be welcomed like Christmas itself)  
  
**Here's the summary of the sequel:  
**  
Rae is 17 and wants to explore Jump City. She runs into a young teen, and they both fall in love. But, unknown to Rae, he is Slade's son. Unfortunately, Rae has also been forcefully betrothed to a cold-hearted teen from Azarath whom she despises. And does Raven stand a chance of coming back from the dead?  
  
Normally, I would avoid using questions in my summaries...buuut it seems I can't avoid that question mark today.  
  
**Sneak Peek at Slade's son:  
**  
Name: Aeolus (Ai-oh-luss)  
  
Meaning: (Greek) Change, King of the Winds  
  
Nickname: Alex  
  
Age: 18  
  
Superpower: Uses wind to move objects or control the weather.  
  
Hair: Dark brown  
  
Eyes: Changes with the weather.  
  
Sunny/Fair: Sky Blue  
  
Cloudy: Dark Blue  
  
Rainy/Windy: Pearl Gray  
  
Storm: Black  
  
And as for one of the suggestions on how to bring Raven back, I'm sorry, but I know nothing of Dragonballz except that it's a TV show. Creative suggestion though.  
  
And here's a trip into my (non-existent) brain to find part of the raw copy for the first chapter! **Keep in mind it hasn't gone through the edit fetish of mine.**  
  
**Sneak Peek at Chapter 1:  
**  
(Syron rhymes with Nylon...keep that in mind)  
  
Rae pried open her eyes to stare into the brightest thing ever to exist in the whole wide world: her window. Somehow, the drapes were open so the dazzling rays of light cascaded down onto her radiant seventeen-year-old face. Well, Rae didn't think they were anywhere near dazzling. With a flick of her hand, the shutters were enveloped in black energy and dragged shut. She groaned and got up.  
  
"Mom must have hated the light so much she wanted the window to face her bed. And let's not forget that it's so strategically placed to face _east_." Rae stopped muttering and flung her legs to the side of the bed. However, instead standing right up, she turned around and looked longingly at the closed window.  
  
When she was ten, her father had wanted to move her to the city to further protect her from Slade, who wanted to unleash Trigon. Rae protested, so a compromise was made. Rae would stay in the tower with the titans, and if she wanted to go out, another would have to come with her and watch her every move. Further more, when there was trouble in the city, Rae would have to stay home, guarded by an adult. At first, she didn't think much of it, as the attention she got was what every child wanted. Then, as she became a freedom-seeking teenager, she longed to explore the city by herself, free and alone.  
  
Rae sighed and stood up. Once she entered her bathroom, the lights turned on and a semi-transparent screen popped up in front of the mirror. On it, were labels reading: Breakfast; News; Weather; E-mail; Music; Intercom, and a whole lot of other yummy stuff. It was just splendid to see how the technology had risen in the year of 2023.  
  
Yawning, Rae got out her brush and touched the screen where it said "Breakfast." A huge menu popped up according to the current kitchen's inventory status. The main reason Cyborg had put in this wonderful computer screen was to stop him and BB from reliving the "Tofu vs. Meat Speech and Debate Competition" each and every morning.  
  
While brushing her long black hair with her right hand, she used her other hand to press "Herbal Tea" and with much thought, "(2) Pancakes with Maple Syrup."  
  
She lightly touched a few buttons after that, and the screen disappeared. Now that the mirror was free, Rae gazed into her indigo eyes. They were violet like her mother's, but with more blue. They also had a more cheery composition to them, but not by too much, as showing excessive emotion was still a dangerous sport.  
  
The whole reason why her father, Nightwing, had chosen to name his daughter after Raven was the similarities between mother and child. Every physical feature of Rae's was her mother's, except for her shiny black hair that went a few inches over her shoulder. She even had the same interests and the same sarcastic drone to most situations. But unlike Raven, Rae laughed more, and loved to pull pranks. In fact, she looked so much like a seventeen-year-old Raven that when she put on her mother's uniform one day, the startled titans thought that it was a teenager Raven come back to life.  
  
And speaking of Raven coming back to life, it was nearly seven years ago since her mother told Rae under the circumstances on how she could. _When love conquers evil and it is destroyed from inside.  
_  
Rae sighed and went into her closet after she got all washed up. She shifted through her clothes and decided on her usual: black tank top, black shorts, and black gloves similar to what Raven used to adorn her hand. The jewel in the center helped her center her energy for more accuracy. Rae also pulled out her mother's azure cloak. She loved the silky material as it reminded her of the dark soothing Hawaiian waters. And no matter how many times you wash it, it would smell like lavender... like her mother.  
  
Rae floated silently down the stair and heard the trails of voices. There was Cyborg babbling about how he just upgraded his T-car, Terra and Starfire was trying to get Beast Boy to try the Tamaranian's new smoothie, and Nightwing was talking casually to—  
  
Rae gasped. She knew that icy cold voice, and she loathed it. She loathed it more than tofu, bright colors, and even Slade, the reason she felt so trapped. Rae stopped outside the common room door and glared at the hated sound of _Syron_, the teen she was miserably betrothed to only a week ago.  
  
For the rest of Chapter 1, you'd have to read it when the sequel is published. And there'll be more information about his betrothal business. Keep in mind some of the things you just read might change, as it has to go through my brain's edit scanner.  
  
**I'll see you then!**


End file.
